By My Decision
by Shinneth
Summary: Two love triangles and a new breed of evil on the rise brings about a world of hurt and confusion for the Digimon Tamers two years after the sixth movie. Chapter 11 is now here! Jenrya x Takato x Juri, Ryo x Ruki x Hirokazu
1. Insomnia and Incomplete Sentences

(Notes:

Welcome to By My Decision Mk. II! Indeed, after some various changes in life, I was given access to the Toon Disney channel where I was able to watch Digimon for the first time in quite a few years. I had stalled off on this fanfic after Chapter 9 mainly because I grew out of touch with the show and completely forgot what I had planned to do. Now I've been rejuvenated and I wish to give this story another go! Unfortunately, I am separated from my progress on Chapter 10. One day I'll be reunited with it, but until then, I decided to keep my resolve fresh by revising the old chapters!

I started this story when I was 15 years old. I am now 21, so when I look over the writing of my teenaged years, it's safe to say I'm not as proud of it as I used to be. So, I aim to wring out the mistakes of my youth and hopefully tie in a new fan or two! And one day, this story will be finished! The changes on the whole are really not much, especially for this chapter. Mainly it's going to be changing a few sentences here and there, erasing others, adding additional ones where I find it appropriate, fix the tenses a little bit, and eliminate all of the confounded fangirl Japanese. Boy, I wonder how I'll rectify Chapter 5 in that vein… anyway!

For newcomers, this story is about Takato and Ruki and how they deal with being in a love triangle. It gets much more complicated and serious than that in later chapters. It takes place 2 years after the Tamers series, as well as the sixth movie. Thanks to the revisions of FFN over the years, though, I fear the formatting of this fic will eventually suffer. No more are the brackets, and no longer can I add a ? and a ! together for some weird reason. I can only pray they are merciful as I strive to improve this series…

So bearing that in mind, I hope you enjoy this story should you decide to read it!)

* * *

( POV – Takato )

* * *

I couldn't believe I was doing this. After watching countless TV specials, their lessons taught me that it would just be stupid to lug around a diary— a journal in my case, of course. This is just one _more_ thing to hide from my parents, friends and enemies. One _more_ thing Guilmon might mistake for food and choke on.

One _more_ thing people can blackmail me for.

But when I looked at it from a perspective, I supposed it wouldn't be too bad to just try one out. Just to see if it would help me cope with certain things. After all, it _was_ Juri who suggested I started to keep one…

Nonetheless, I was facing risks. That's why I got a lock for the stupid thing. Two keys for it that I'd have at all times with me...yeah, I decided to make a copy, just in case. No one except me would have a chance of getting into this thing. I wanted it that way, of course. I just can't help but wonder about all the possibilities of this going completely wrong, and I'd end up totally screwed. What if Hirokazu found out? He can't keep a secret if his life depended on it. Hell, knowing him, he'd probably stand on a soapbox in the middle of the hallway at school, holding my journal for all eyes to see, charging people money just to see the pages!

My lip quivered at that thought. Of course, since that incident with the baking soda and the vinegar, I haven't let Hirokazu come within a yard of my room. Good riddance. Let him wreck someone else's house…

Maybe I shouldn't worry so much. Kenta never comes around here; neither does Ruki or Ryo… Jenrya and Juri are **much** more mature than to go around snooping in my room. As long as I make sure my journal never leaves my room, I'm safe, right?

Okay? Okay. I need to stop being so paranoid about this. All right, I'm opening the journal and writing in it… riiiiight…. now!

… God… how am I gonna make an opening sentence about this? Grah.

_Hi. I know most kids who keep journals usually start when they're really little and stuff, so I'm kinda late in the game here. In fact, I didn't really even want this journal to begin with. I think they're just blackmail just waiting to be discovered by people who really hate you._

_But lately, I've been having some problems concerning my friends… and I'm not sure who to ask about these problems, so until I figure that out, I've decided to basically spill my guts on this journal-thing, just so I won't end up doing the same thing in a situation when I'm under pressure, and end up blabbing about my secrets in front of someone._

_Who knows? Maybe it'll be helpful for me in the future. Though I doubt it. Anyway… I've been thinking about Juri, and how much I—_

Aww, why did the phone have to ring? I was getting into a rhythm and everything!

"'Mom…!" I yelled out, without bothering to walk outside my room. "Telephone!!"

I wait… Seems like she got it…

"Takato, it's for you!"

What?! I turned to look at the clock. It's almost 21:00. The sun was down, and it was already getting dark. Usually I never even get calls after 17:00. Who _could_ it be? I closed my journal, sat up, and reached over for my phone.

"I got it!!" I shouted back to my mother, just before picking my phone up. Getting into a comfortable position, I rested the receiver between my ear and my shoulder. I grabbed my journal and opened it up again. "Hello?"

"Takato? It's me."

I blinked. "Jenrya?"

"Yeah," the voice said. He seemed a little uneasy… either that or he was out of breath. "I didn't get you at a bad time, did I…?"

"No way," I lied, glancing back down to my journal. "I've just been sitting here, suffering some, um… artist's block."

"Sorry to hear that," Jenrya said, with a light chuckle.

I paused for a bit, for lack of a proper response. "… Did you need me for something…?"

Now it was Jenrya's turn to make some awkward silence on the phone. I waited, listening to his breathing, which still seemed uneven, or unstable…

I looked sharply at the receiver; like that's the closest I could do to look at Jenrya himself. "Jen, is something wrong?"

"Oh, of course not!" was Jen's immediate response. "I'm just trying to find the right words…"

… Okay… "Is it something serious?"

"No, not really!" Jenrya's voice was beginning to waver a bit, pitch-wise. "I was just… wondering…"

God, it seemed like Jen was about to have a nervous breakdown. I was getting concerned… "Jen, do you need me to come over? I'm not busy, really."

"I-I… I was just wondering if you'd like to come with me to the festival this weekend!"

I blinked. Jenrya said that REALLY fast. "…E-excuse me?"

I heard Jenrya take a deep breath before responding. "Sorry…you're going with someone already, right? I should've figured…"

Ohh, he meant the _festival_…

"W-well, if you are going with someone else, can I come with you? Unless it's, like, Juri or someone, and you wanted to be alone with her. Because I can understand that! It's just that my family is finally letting me go to the festival this year without parental supervision, so that means Shuichon won't be tagging along and annoying everybody like she was last year, so, you know, I was just wondering—"

"Okay, I understand!" I interrupted. I didn't understand one thing, though… why Jen was being so _nervous_ about asking me this. "But as far as I know, I haven't been invited yet, so sure, I'd like to come with you."

This was another lie, though. I was planning on asking Juri out to the festival…

"Really?" Jen seemed relieved. "Great. I've been looking forward to this a lot…thanks, Takato."

I smiled. "It's no problem. Besides, my family's decided to let me go on my own this year, too. It'll be just us doing whatever we want! And maybe Juri, too…if that's okay with you."

"Sure!" Jenrya replied enthusiastically. "The more, the merrier!"

"Are you sure that's all what's bothering you?" I asked with a more serious tone. "You seem a little shaken up."

"No, it's nothing," Jen said. "I just got back from martial arts class. Haven't had dinner yet, either…" Suddenly he paused. "Ah, but Mom just called me down for it."

"Yeah, go eat." I said with a smirk. "See you tomorrow, Jen."

"Seeya!"

I hung up the phone and looked back to my journal. Then I looked the other way to where my desk was, to see my D-arc sitting there. My thoughts drifted into the possibilities of things during the festival this weekend… okay, sure, my little plot to be on a 'date' with Juri without ever telling her that to her face would be a little… somewhat 'ruined' by Jenrya's presence, but it's no big deal.

I smiled as my gaze returned to my journal. I gently picked it up, flipped the cover over, and began to write in it again. When I thought about it, I can't bring myself to say Jenrya's presence is really _ruining_ anything… he IS my best friend, after all. And as far as I knew, Jenrya doesn't have many other friends aside from me and my friends, and to my knowledge he doesn't have a 'special someone' who he can enjoy.

… I can't just ditch him like that, you know?

Besides… I know how aggravating his sister can get. Especially if she's your _only_ company…

Okay, so I decided this isn't gonna be a date. Just a little outing with my friends. No big deal. Other times will come when I can ask Juri out, surely… so I won't whine about this in my journal. Now, where was I? Oh, I've been thinking about Juri, and how much I…

… _catch myself thinking about her when I don't really need to, which is weird. I think it's obvious I've had this horrid crush on her for a long time… I say that because my friends usually tease me about it. With the exception of Jenrya, of course. He knows it as well as anybody… but he's been the nicest about it, at least. It's just really crazy, though, because as much as __**I'm**__ aware that I like Juri in that way, and as aware as all my friends are, Juri just… acts so clueless. _

_I can't tell if she returns the feelings or not, to be honest. All I know is, after all we've been through, the D-Reaper and such, if she doesn't suspect after all THAT, that I might have something of a crush on her… she probably doesn't like me that way in return. It worries me… I'm scared of her knowing that I like her in that way. It might hurt her or something… she might be scared to talk to me for a while… but, I know someday I'll have to face my fears and tell her. I just don't know how. And what if she likes someone else? Though I can't imagine who else she could possibly like…_

_I keep wondering if I should ask Jen about it. Except I'm not sure how helpful he could be in something he probably has no experience with. Jenrya seems to be having problems of his own, though… he's been acting a little strange lately… I really need to stop worrying so much._

I stopped writing and frowned. "Geez," I said out loud, to no one in particular. "How do people stand to WRITE like this every day? I feel like I'm mentally handicapped doing something like this!"

With that, I slammed my journal shut, latched on the lock, and threw it on the floor. I was suddenly feeling exhausted, so I laid down on my bed.

"Takato? What's wrong?"

I looked to my closet. "Nothing, Guilmon."

A pair of golden eyes blinked from the darkness of my closet and gestured to the journal on my floor. "What's that, then?"

"Nothing edible, boy." I replied. "Just don't worry about it."

"Okay." There was a short pause. "What's for dinner?"

"You _just_ ate…"

"Yeah," Guilmon began to poke his head out from my closet. It was hard convincing my parents to let him stay indoors all the time… I told Guilmon to be really careful when my parents granted me permission to keep him in the house. Thankfully he's gotten more obedient over time… except he's practically claimed my closet now.

"I'll get some day-old bread out when Mom's not looking, okay?" I promised. "Just remind me before I go to bed."

"Okee-doke," my partner agreed. He went out of the closet and headed for the door. "I'll be right back."

"Wait, where are you running off to?" I've made it a habit to make sure he's not doing anything foolish…

"Nature called," Guilmon answered, looking at me awkwardly. "Is that how it goes?"

"Close enough," I muttered. "Go on ahead."

My gaze focused on the ceiling as Guilmon left. And without even looking, I grabbed my journal off from the floor and flung it under my bed. Good riddance.

I know my parents always told me I was a creative person, but geez, writing is _not _my illustrative forte.

"Maybe I'll just stick with doodling Juri obsessively until I get the courage to tell her," I mumbled enthusiastically to myself.

* * *

( POV – Nobody )

* * *

"I'm home!" 

Makino Ruki slipped out of her steel-toed shoes and shut the door behind her. She looked around the living room to find her family quite relaxed, as usual. Rumiko, her mother, watching the TV, whilst her grandmother, Seiko was busy on the computer.

"Good to see you home," Rumiko said. "I ordered some takeout for you, since you said you'd be late."

"Thanks," Ruki said, seemingly in a hurry as she scooted to the kitchen and grabbed a box of rice. "How've you two been?"

"Just the usual," Seiko called out, looking to her granddaughter. "Your mother got paid today, so she's planning to take us all on a shopping spree this weekend."

Ruki smirked as she headed for her room. "Who's 'us all'? Did you invite more scary old people into the house, Grandma?"

"Why, Ruki," Rumiko was surprised. "You don't want to go?"

"Can't," Ruki shook her head. "Festival's this weekend. I'm not planning to _go_ or anything, but you know, I'm sure my friends will call me anytime soon, just _begging_ me to tag along to play their silly little reindeer games."

"Oh, right, I forgot about that," Seiko looked up thoughtfully. "Actually, Ruki, you have a couple of calls waiting for you."

Ruki blinked. "Already?"

"Renamon can tell you all the details," Rumiko said with a smile. "Go on ahead and have fun this weekend, dear. I'll make sure to get you something nice at the mall."

Ruki put on a fake smile for her mother. "I can't wait. I'm gonna go check on my calls now."

"Call us if you need anything!" Rumiko shouted out as Ruki went into her room.

Ruki shut the door; leaving herself in complete darkness, save for a wide beam of faint moonlight emerging from her windows. She glanced to it, a serious expression now spread across her face.

"Hey, Renamon."

The humanoid fox Digimon appeared promptly on command. "Good evening."

"I heard I received some calls while I was out."

Renamon looked to her Tamer. "Indeed, you did."

Ruki, finished with the spooky mood to her room, walked over to a nearby lamp and turned it on. "More than one?"

"Three," Renamon reported.

"They must really want me to come along," Ruki muttered as she approached her phone. "They left messages, right?"

"Of course," Renamon walked over to Ruki and folded her arms. "Though you may not be pleased with the messages…"

Ruki pressed a few buttons on her answering machine and sighed. "Well, don't spoil me just yet."

Renamon shrugged as Ruki listened closely to what her callers had to say.

"Ruki! This is Juri! I know you told me last night you'd be late coming home today, but it just occurred to me that I never invited you to the festival this weekend! So before I forget again, I wanted to ask you now! It'd be really nice if you came with me, and I'm sure Takato and the others are coming, so why not join the party? Call me back when you've decided! We'll arrange times for us to meet!" Suddenly, the tone in Juri's voice drastically rose, to her familiar tone through which she speaks through The Puppet. "Tell Renamon she's welcome to join us, too! Ruff Ruff!"

Ruki smiled. "I dunno, Renamon. Are festivals really your style?"

"They are if they're your style, Ruki." Renamon replied. "It does sound enjoyable, though."

"It's really too late to call Juri tonight," Ruki said with a sigh as she pressed another button, awaiting her next message.

"Hey, Ruki. What's up?"

Ruki frowned. "I should've known that rat Akiyama would coerce me into this…"

"Heh… I heard there was a festival coming up this weekend. Everyone at my school's going wild about it, so I knew I'd have a fun time if I asked the worldly-famous Digimon Queen to go on an outing on a perfectly fine festival. Heheh, don't worry; we don't need to call it a _date_ if you don't want to. But hey, if you want to, and all…call me!"

Ruki was about to make a sarcastic remark, but was cut off by an unfamiliar male voice, this one sounding rather automated.

"From Akiyama Ryo, with love!"

Renamon looked at her seething partner. "I'm afraid the final call won't make you any happier."

"_Nothing_ can piss me off more than Ryo," Ruki muttered through her teeth. "Not Goggle-Head… not ANYBODY."

"We'll see," Renamon said coolly as she pressed the button, allowing the final message to play. "This one came in just two minutes after Ryo's."

"Hey, Ruki! You know, I was thinking about how awesome it'd be if you came to the festival with me, since I know you like maintaining your good image and all, who better to make you look more pristine and popular at the festival than your one and only Hirokazu the Great? Just admit it, you can't resist going out with me! Hey, but before you get any ideas, it's NOT a date, okay? Just a little outing, giving the people a message, you know? And you need to have FUN once in a while, girl. Anyway, my line's always open, and I always stay up late every night, so gimme a call when you get back? 'Kay? I really mean it! Call me back!"

Ruki scoffed and walked over to her bed. "Call _him_ back? Only in his wet dreams."

Renamon chuckled briefly. "You're so harsh on the boy, Ruki. Brash as he is, and regardless of how much he's asking for a kick you-know-where, it seems you've never given him a chance to prove himself to you."

"He doesn't deserve a chance," Ruki insisted as she sat down. "I already know he's a disaster waiting to happen. Think about how many chances I gave Ryo, how many times he messes up, and compare him to Hirokazu. Ryo's MUCH more sophisticated than him. And if Ryo's screwing up anyway, just imagine what I could be getting myself into with that stupid Ryo-Wannabe."

"You have a good point," Renamon said with another chuckle. "Still, it would be good for you to spend the festival with your friends. No matter how much they irritate you."

Ruki narrowed her eyes. "I only have so much tolerance for irritation, Renamon. And once it's gone, who knows what I'll do to those Rooster Heads." Rooster Head was a nickname she coined some time ago for the two fellow Tamers with gravity-defying hair.

"Well, perhaps you should concentrate less on that and more on enjoying yourself," Renamon suggested. "I understand Ryo and Hirokazu can be a pain more than once in a while, but they still care about you. They just want you to have a good time."

"I guess," Ruki said uneasily. "Maybe I'll just call Juri tomorrow…"

Renamon sat down politely against a wall, looking out the window. "You're still so used to doing things your own way... I think it'll be good for you to endure this and become stronger for it. You really do need to treasure your friends."

"Yeah, I know," Ruki smiled. "I guess one little chance at the festival can't hurt. I'm sure Hirokazu and Ryo won't mind coming with me together, with Juri."

"As the boys said, it's _not_ a date," Renamon reminded.

Ruki rolled over on one side of her bed and let out a frustrated sigh. "Lesson One, Renamon: Boys **always** lie."

* * *

( POV – Takato )

* * *

Whether or not it was that extra cupcake I had for dessert, **something** was not letting me sleep tonight.

I sat up in my bed and pulled the covers off me. It was getting hot under there, anyway. I somehow dreaded having to look at my clock… 3:00? Ugh.

I could hear Guilmon snoring in the closet. No problem blaming _him_ for my insomnia…

… no. It's not Guilmon. I really can't sleep.

I looked down at the floor next to my bed. Is that blasted journal making me paranoid already? When I've barely written anything blackmail-worthy in it? … It couldn't be.

I just need to go back to bed and dream or something. Yeah. Dreaming… that always gets me to sleep.

…

No. I can't go to sleep now. But my parents won't help me. They'll just tell me to count sheep or something. No one's really sane this late at night, anyway.

Wait…

Wait just a second…

… why was I heading towards the phone?! Am I going insane too?

… oh, why not? I'm sure we'll both forget this moment by tomorrow anyway. And it's not like I'd be going to sleep anytime soon. So here I go, doing this. Doing… this.

Dialing… the numbers… to Jenrya's house.

* * *

( POV – Nobody )

* * *

Whatever peaceful dream Janyuu was imagining was going to have to wait; someone was crazy enough to call his household in the middle of the night.

He rolled around the bed and faced the blaring telephone with a look of utter disgust. He was about to reach for his glasses, but his arm fell short of the dresser drawer just at the last second.

Janyuu murmured some unintelligible curse as he turned away from the phone and wrapped his blankets tightly around him. He wasn't going to give away his precious sleep that easily. So he did the next best thing.

"Mayumi… get the phone…"

His wife was more submissive, he knew. She'd give in and get the phone… hopefully… before that incessant ringing drove them both nuts…

"Janyuu," Mayumi muttered as she sat up. "Can't we leave it alone…?"

"The ringing will end quicker if you get the phone right now, dear," Janyuu answered impatiently.

Janyuu could hear his wife growling quietly as she got the phone.

"Who is this?" Mayumi mumbled in her most unenthusiastic voice possible. "If it's some foreign prank caller, I swear to God I'll—"

"Mrs. Lee?"

Janyuu's eyes widened as he thought he had recognized the voice. "Honey… please don't tell me that's…"

"Takato…?" Mayumi wondered aloud as she rubbed her eyes. "Is that you…?"

"Yes," the voice at the end replied. "Sorry to call you so late, but…"

"Takato," Mayumi interrupted. "It's… 3:00…"

"Yeah, sorry about that," Takato apologized. He didn't sound anywhere NEAR sleepy…

"Go to sleep, Takato," Mayumi slurred, already falling back to sleep herself. "It's… 3:00…"

"I can't, ma'am," Takato admitted.

"Have you tried counting your toes…?" Mayumi randomly suggested.

"Uh… yeah."

"Did you try counting backwards from 400?"

A short pause from Takato's side. "… Yeah."

"Right," Mayumi said with a sigh, laying back down into bed. She shut her eyes and proceeded to call across the apartment. "JENRYA!!"

And thus Jenrya, who was sleeping very peacefully, was rudely awakened by that shout, and fell off his bed.

Disgruntled and disoriented, Jenrya sat up to the best of his abilities, still being trapped in a mass of blankets from his waist down.

"JENRYA!!"

"What is it…?" Jenrya weakly called back.

"JENRYA!!" Apparently his mother didn't hear him. "TELEPHONE!"

Jenrya looked to his nearby phone, looking confused. Slowly, he reached over for it and picked up the receiver.

"Mom?" He spoke into it, with an immediate yawn afterwards.

Jenrya heard a click from the other side. Mayumi had shut off her phone and passed out already.

"Jen?"

Jenrya's half-closed eyes were suddenly fully open. "Takato?"

"Hi, Jen…"

"Takato…?" Jenrya's sleepiness was taking over again. He looked over to his clock. "Takato, it's 3:00…"

"Yeah, I can't sleep."

Jenrya climbed back into his bed. "Why not?"

"I dunno, I just can't seem to. And I'm afraid to dream about anything for some reason. I didn't know what to do… so I thought maybe I should, like… call you or something."

Terriermon was beginning to stir, Jenrya noticed. He frowned, getting more impatient by the second. "Takato, what did you _think_ I'd be doing at this time at night?"

"… Sleeping?"

"Right," Jenrya narrowed his eyes. "And guess what I was doing before you called?"

"… Sleeping?"

"That's right. And do you know what I'm going to do right here in a few seconds?"

"… Sleep?"

"Goodnight, Takato," Jenrya was prepared to hang up the phone now.

"… sorry."

Jenrya blinked and brought the receiver back to him. "Okay, Takato, what's wrong?"

"Sorry for calling you so late at night, Jen … I'll see you tomorrow."

"Takato, what is it?" Jenrya asked, deciding to soften up. "You can tell me."

"I don't wanna keep you up, Jen," Takato said quickly. "Bye."

And like that, Takato had hung up.

Jenrya stared at the phone for a moment before hanging up. He looked out the window to see the moon shining down on him.

"Jen?"

Jenrya looked down to his little plush-like companion and smiled. "Go back to sleep, Terriermon."

Terriermon lazily opened an eye. "What're you doing up?"

Jenrya shook his head as he pulled the covers over him and laid back down, closing his eyes. "I don't know. Goodnight, Terriermon."

Terriermon, far too sleepy to be inquisitive, just closed his eye. "G'night, Jen."

Little did Jenrya know that he'd be spending the rest of his hours musing Takato's reasoning with that phone call instead of actually dreaming. Always a habit of Jenrya's, it was. To dissect and analyze Takato and his actions and thoughts before anything else.

One thing was for sure, though.

Takato was _so_ going to hear it later that morning.

* * *

( TBC ) 


	2. Mornings and Misinterpretations

**(Notes:**

**And Chapter 2. Still not a lot going on, but upon rereading this chapter, I am rather amused how I'm handling one of the triangles this early on into the game. At least one is obvious at this point! Not so much the other in full... not too much of a change upon my revising, though I did want to make it a point to make it seem like Jenrya and Kenta are a _little_ closer than I originally portrayed. Maybe I'm just imagining it, but I think the two would've hit it off pretty well if the show actually gave them more time to interact. Of course, I've said that about Jenrya and Juri, too...)**

* * *

( POV – Nobody )

* * *

It was a miracle how Jenrya even managed to come to school the next morning, much less 30 minutes _early_. Nonetheless, he was able to pull it off. And he succeeded into getting to school at his normal early time; something a top student like him felt necessary to keep as a habit. Even if your best friend calls you in the middle of the night and makes you lose 3 hours of sleep…

"Looks like _somebody_ stayed up too late on the chat lines last night…"

Jenrya opened his eyes to see his fellow classmate pointing at him. Kitagawa Kenta.

"Not this time, Kenta… I almost wish."

Kenta just shook his head in disbelief. "Don't lie to me, Jen. I know how late you were on last night. I still had our IM convo box up from last night, and when I glanced at it, it said you didn't get offline until 4:58."

Jenrya couldn't help but smirk a little. "So, what were YOU doing on the computer at 5?"

"I _wasn't_," Kenta claimed. "I checked it when I woke up this morning, duh."

"Whatever you say," Jenrya said with a sigh. He had only met Kenta through Takato, and just because Kenta was in some of the same advanced placement classes as he was, they were by no means very close friends. They got along well enough… they meshed better than either of them with Hirokazu, anyhow. But unfortunately, Jenrya was in no mood to be social today. His body was demanding a good nap before school had to commence; he wasn't about to let Kenta take that away from him.

"Really, what were you doing?" Kenta asked, peering down at Jenrya. "Looking up porn?"

Jenrya responded by burying his face into his crossed arms on the desk. "I'll tell you later," he mumbled. "Just let me get some sleep, Kenta."

Kenta blinked, and looked utterly baffled. "Gee, you're really tired, aren't you? That's just not like you… I mean, we've got a test at noon and everything. You usually don't pull something like this and NOT study before school starts."

"We _do_?" Jenrya hadn't given a single thought about the test he'd have to take in History since his teacher announced it last week. "Oh, god… we DO…"

"It's okay, it's okay!" Kenta assured, waving his hands. "We can cram during lunch; you'll be just fine! Still, all you'll probably make is an A- if you don't study at all…"

"I really don't want to think about it," Jenrya groaned as he buried his face deeper into his arms.

"Right, right," Kenta said with a quick bow, and moved away from Jenrya. "I'll let you sleep now. If you took the test half-asleep, that'd definitely knock you down to a B…"

"Kenta…"

"Of course!" Kenta was already halfway out the door. "I'm leaving you alone, now!"

With that, Kenta was out of the room. Jenrya relaxed himself in preparation to get in some of his long-desired rest. Still, even as he slept, there was still a thought picking endlessly at his mind. Why _did_ Takato go through the trouble of calling him 4 ½ hours ago? Jenrya could exactly recall the tone of his best friend's voice at that ungodly hour of the night, and he could tell Takato was being troubled over something. Something… but what? What if he had hurt Takato's feelings over the phone? The last thing Jenrya needed was a strain on his friendship with Takato. If that was lost, he could kiss all his other social relations goodbye, because his only other friends were pretty much in the same group as Takato was. And had it not been for Takato, he never would have met Hirokazu, Kenta, OR Juri.

The half-Chinese Tamer could admit to himself that he wasn't the little social butterfly he could have been. Before Terriermon came into his life, Jenrya didn't have anyone except for his relatives. Growing up with a bad reputation after his incident with using his karate moves on a neighborhood kid had left him with no kids his age to talk to. Even to this day, Jenrya would never tell anyone about the day that had later served as a basis for his pacifistic ways. Call it paranoia, but he couldn't risk losing even more friends. True, he could appreciate the company of Hirokazu and Kenta a little more, and, yeah, he was still rather stiff when it came to being casual to Ruki, but Jenrya, after all these years, was still a little shaky when it came to having friends.

Admitting this in public was hard, though; being pacifistic already had Jenrya labeled as a wuss to the likes of Ruki and Hirokazu. But he knew he could probably tell Takato. Jenrya's best friend, the only best friend he ever had, the friend he could tell anything to, and Takato would return the favor by spilling his guts out to him. Takato wasn't the type to spread secrets and inane gossip to the crowd, especially if they were about his best friend. He was above that kind of immaturity.

Jenrya could tell from the phone call he received that Takato was in his time of need. He definitely had a problem, and everyone needs to be there for him to help see him through it. No matter how big or how small the problem, Jenrya promised to himself he wouldn't let a little thing like lack-of-sleep get in the way of his concern for Takato. After all, he had to prove to himself and everyone else that he wasn't a wimp; that he can be there for his best friend when he needs him. Jenrya decided he had to prove to the world that Takato's _his_ best friend and _he_ was Takato's best friend. Not Ruki, not Hirokazu, not Ryo. But _himself_, Lee Jianliang. Or Jenrya, whatever…

Jenrya smiled to himself in his sleep… _'It would be nice if Takato __**could**__ say my Chinese name without messing up the pronunciation,'_ he thought. Upon retrospect, it was somewhat of a weird thought to have… but Jenrya ultimately figured it was the result of little sleep.

* * *

( POV – Nobody )

* * *

It had been near dinnertime when Juri had called the Makino residence, so already Juri felt she had done this at an inappropriate time, and Ruki might be a little mad at her when she saw her again. But hopefully not _too_ mad. Then again, Juri remembered that Ruki would be late coming home anyway, so maybe it wasn't _too_ inappropriate. Still, Ruki didn't have a lot of time to accept the invitation… the festival would be coming in a couple of days.

Juri didn't want to feel too reliant; after all, Takato was probably going to ask her out to the festival later today anyway. Still, things to her weren't the same without Ruki around. It was strange… she hadn't known Ruki nearly as long as she has known her friends who actually go to school with her. Ayaka, Miki… however, they both had dates now…

"Kids really **do** grow up too fast these days," Juri said to herself as she walked inside the school, and proceeded to head for her locker. It was 7:45, and school would begin in 15 minutes.

Nonetheless, Ruki stood out from the rest of her friends. She was definitely the most unique girl Juri had ever met. And, frankly, it nearly broke Juri's heart when she learned how much Ruki didn't get along with anyone else. Having already heard about her reputation as the Digimon Queen from her other group of friends, namely Takato, Hirokazu and Kenta, the would-be aspiring rivals to Ruki as far as the Card Game was concerned; Juri was already excited in getting to know Ruki.

She knew not any old schmuck could just waltz into a competition, defeat every participating boy and take the championship title just like that. Of course, now that she knew that Akiyama Ryo's absence was a huge factor in Ruki's victory, it didn't seem nearly as special, but Juri didn't care. From the moment she saw Ruki, Juri could tell Ruki didn't seem quite whole. She could immediately tell the Lone-Wolf Tamer needed a friend. And she was right; Ruki was in dire need of a good friend outside of Renamon, even if she wouldn't admit it.

No human had broken through Ruki's icy cold barrier as well as Juri did, and it was easy to tell. Takato and Jenrya were very surprised how Juri could make Ruki seem like any other girl in just a matter of minutes, and turn Ruki into almost an amiable teammate. Hirokazu and Kenta were in total disbelief; both believing Ruki was as emotional as a rock, and about as pleasing as Hitler. Through all the hardships they suffered in the Digital World, Juri and Ruki had gotten progressively closer as time went on, and all of a sudden, out of the blue, Juri had considered Ruki now to be her best friend.

And somehow, Juri thought, she didn't have any doubt in her mind that Ruki felt the same way.

So why was she worrying about Ruki just because she had called her a little later than she normally would? Of course she'd want to come. If Ryo and Hirokazu had both called her and invited her out on a date to the same festival, she could tell Ruki would practically jump at the opportunity to come with her.

This made Juri giggle. Ruki was so funny sometimes…

"Yo, Juri!"

Juri looked up from the floor, seeing Hirokazu and Kenta from the end of the hallway, waving to her. With a warm smile, Juri waved back to them, put her things away in her locker, and walked over to them.

"Good morning," she greeted sweetly. "You guys are early today…"

"And by your standards, _you're_ later than usual," Kenta said with a smirk. "You weren't online all night like Jen was, were you?"

Juri looked blank. "What do you mean?"

"Kenta here found Jenrya in the classroom _sleeping_," Hirokazu informed in his casual, laid-back tone. "Instead of studying or writing or something. How about that?"

"Because he spent all night being on the computer?" Juri asked, still not quite following what her friends were getting at…

"I have proof on my computer back at home," Kenta said. "Though it's funny, he didn't even sign _on_ until half-past 3. So maybe he was sleeping earlier or something. Maybe an insomnia attack hit him. But he's sure being more anti-social than usual this morning, so I wouldn't bother him."

"I hope he's okay," Juri said with concern. "You guys have a test later today, don't you?"

Kenta nodded. "Mm-hmm. I'm gonna help him study a bit during lunch, because we have the test right after it."

"Maybe Takato knows what's eating him," Hirokazu suggested, looking at his watch. "But he's gonna be late if he doesn't get a move on. He usually doesn't get here too early."

"Maybe Takato was up all night on the internet _too_," Kenta said, with a hint of suspicion in his voice.

Hirokazu shook his head. "Now you're just getting ridiculous."

"I don't think he would've," Juri figured, remembering the talk she had with him yesterday. "I suggested for him to keep a journal since he was saying things about how he couldn't find anything to vent out his feelings on certain things. He told me he would try it…I just didn't think he'd be that into it."

Hirokazu and Kenta could hardly control their snickering. "Y-you told him to get a _diary_?"

"Yeah, so what about it?" Juri inquired, hands on her hips. "I have one. Why, are they too girly for your kind, 'Kazu?"

"You could say that," Hirokazu sputtered, covering his mouth, and clenching his eyes shut.

Kenta had pinned himself against a set of lockers, near the point of hyperventilating. "Oh my god, can you just SEE Takato with a diary? I sure could!!"

"Venting out his feelings on 'certain things'!" Hirokazu shouted, by now sounding hysterical. "Sounding like an angsty little girl! That is SO Takato Matsuda!"

"It's not funny!" Juri asserted, glaring at both boys. "Takato might really be having a problem that he can't tell us! How can you two _laugh_ at a time like this?"

In a sad attempt to calm himself down, Hirokazu pulled himself off the lockers with Kenta, took some deep breaths, but still grinning his grin.

"Juri, I think Kenta and I have a pretty good idea about what feelings Takato's been meaning to vent," he explained.

Kenta nodded in agreement. "Yeah, he's told us before. And it sounds a lot like something he'd put down in a… _diary_."

On that cue, they both started laughing again.

"If he told you guys, why would he want to put it down in a diary, anyway?" Juri demanded. She was beginning to lose her patience. She usually got along with Hirokazu and Kenta just fine, but she tended to be very intolerant when **anyone** spoke badly of Takato.

"Well, sure, he told _us_," Kenta began, already losing composure. "The thing is, he hasn't told YOU!"

"And why wouldn't he tell me?"

"Why don't you ask Takato when he gets here?" Hirokazu said slyly, as he opened his locker. "Assuming he even gets here on time."

Juri looked at a nearby clock and gasped. It was nearly time for the first bell to ring already. She looked to Kenta and Hirokazu; while not glaring, she certainly didn't give them a smile, either.

"How about we discuss this a little more during lunch?" She said. "When Takato's with us."

"Sure," Kenta complied, grabbing some books out of his locker. "See you later."

Juri bowed in her respective way and headed off to her cooking class. Kenta turned to Hirokazu, who was still mulling around in his own locker.

"Speaking of angsty little crushes…" Kenta muttered. "'Kazu, when are you gonna get over that stupid Ruki obsession of yours?"

Hirokazu sharply shut his locker door, before Kenta could get a good glimpse of the picture of Makino Ruki plastered inside. "Kenta, there's a huge difference between Takato's thing for Juri and my thing for Ruki."

"Yeah, there's a difference all right," Kenta said, unimpressed. He started walking in the direction of his classroom. "Takato actually likes someone who's _good enough_ for him."

"What did you say?" Hirokazu sneered at his best friend. "Kenta, that's the freaking Digimon Queen I'm in love with. And you're saying she's NOT good enough for me?"

"You know how she is, 'Kazu," Kenta said, no longer looking at Hirokazu. "And it seems you always tend to forget how she treated us back in the Digital World just because we didn't have Digimon at the time. She's ultimate Queen Snob, you know? And you know just as well as I do that she hates your guts, even though you ARE a Tamer now."

"Doesn't matter," Hirokazu insisted, starting to walk the opposite way of Kenta. "If you knew anything about chicks, Kenta, you'd know that she only treats me like garbage because she's totally hot for me! You just don't want to admit it!"

"Whatever," Kenta mumbled. "See you in math, Hirokazu."

"Ciao!"

* * *

( POV – Takato )

* * *

Late, late, late, late, late, late, late, late, late, late…

I skidded into my first period classroom, history, just as the final bell rang.

"Saaaaafe," Hirokazu called out to me, spreading his arms out like an umpire would in a baseball game. "Cutting it a little close this time, aren't we, Matsuda?"

I straightened myself out and walked to my desk. "No kidding…"

"I guess I'll have to commend you for your perfect timing, Matsuda," my history teacher, Ms. Seki said in her usual professional tone. "So you're pardoned. After all, you did at least make it _inside_ this time before the bell went off."

I bowed before taking my seat. "Oh, thank you!"

"Just try to be early once in a while," Ms. Seki suggested as she went to the board to write out some assignments. "Cutting corners like this can't be good on your nerves."

What is she? My doctor?

"Of course," I said with a nod. I looked to Hirokazu. "I think your habits are starting to rub off on me…"

"Speak for yourself!" Hirokazu blurted, feigning an innocent face. "**I** was actually 20 minutes early today! Don't go off blaming this on me!"

Somehow I had a really hard time believing that, but hey, he was right. I shouldn't use Hirokazu as a scapegoat.

"Okay, it wasn't your fault, it was mine. I had a really hard time sleeping last night… and somehow I forgot to set my stupid alarm clock…"

"You don't say," Hirokazu's eyes were suddenly all full of interest. "Kenta said he saw Jenrya earlier, and he was actually sleeping."

I suddenly felt a lump in my throat. Oh, god… don't tell me I screwed up _his_ resting, too…

"It's not like him, you know? Jen's always been the little prodigy kid of our group, and for him to not get a good night's sleep before a test is well… you know… dumb."

"H-he couldn't sleep either…?" I asked, just to make sure. I wouldn't get to see Jenrya until lunch as it was…

"Yeah, Kenta said he got online around 3:30 last night and then left just before 5. He might've had a nightmare or something, but apparently he didn't feel like talking to anyone right now."

I looked down at the surface of my desk. I felt horrible now. I just _had_ to be selfish and call him up in the middle of the night just because I couldn't sleep, didn't I? Not only did calling him not help my sleeping problem a bit, now I made Jen unable to sleep for no reason! If he openly won't talk to anyone, then he must be mad…

"So what's your story?" Hirokazu asked me. "How late were you up?"

"Most of the night," I said with a sigh. "I just couldn't relax, something was bothering me…"

A smile crept into Hirokazu's face. "Okay, what were you thinking about?"

"The festival, I guess," Which I really did guess. I was back to thinking about it; it wasn't far away now, I STILL haven't asked Juri out yet, and I'm gonna go with Jen, anyway…

The smile on my friend grew wider. "Thinkin' about Juri, weren't you?"

Almost immediately, a blush had formed on my face. "Don't you think asking her out on a date during the festival is a little too OPEN, 'Kazu?"

"Uh, _yeah_? 'Open' is my middle name, Takato. If you wanna snag a girl that badly, you have to let them KNOW you want them!"

"Right," I said, unconvinced. "That's why Ruki's trying to kill you every time you pass by her. She just loves you _that_ much."

"You bet," Hirokazu agreed… and I don't think he was being sarcastic back to me. "I'm telling you, man, the ultimate way to get a chick is to show them just how much you care."

"I can do _that _just fine," I insisted. "Without hitting on Juri every 5 seconds."

"Which is exactly why you two aren't an official thing yet," my loudmouthed friend explained. "Because you don't hit on her, she doesn't think you see her as anything more than a friend."

"Whatever," I grumbled, turning my focus back to the front of the classroom. "I'll ask her to come with me during lunch. It won't be a date, anyway. Jen's coming with me, too."

"You're bringing HIM?" Hirokazu couldn't seem to believe it. "Why the hell are you taking him along?!"

"He's my best friend, 'Kazu," I told him. "And he asked me over the phone yesterday. He sounded like he had no one else to go with… how am I supposed to turn him down?"

"Like you would with any of us. Just a simple 'Maybe next time, I'm using this festival as my long-awaited attempt to get it on with the girl I love!' will get Jen off your back and you can sink your claws into your babe, just like—"

"No," I interrupted. Already, I was getting irritated how Hirokazu's tendencies to joke around made him stray from the subject. "Look, I like Juri and all, but no matter how much I may like her like that, I'm not going to treat Jen badly because of her. Besides, I don't think I'm even _ready_ for a full-fledged date yet. I should just hang out for her for fun and see if I can even handle that…"

"You won't get much experience if you've got Jenrya dragging you everywhere…"

"That's not the point," I snapped back. "Look, it's not a date, and it's not anything _close_ to a date, either. It's just a simple outing with my friends. I mean, you and Kenta are coming, right?"

"Yeah," he said, unassumingly.

"Okay, so why don't we just all hang out together, and just do our own thing? Our parents won't be supervising us," I reminded. "I know you've asked Ruki, but I'm sure Juri and Ryo already did the same thing, so your chances of getting a big hot date with her are like zero-point-zilch, and that's _ignoring_ the fact that she hates you."

This made Hirokazu frown, of course. He hated admitting the bare facts.

"So let's just forget about dates. Those can always wait for school dances and stuff like that. Besides, wouldn't those even be _more_ obvious? You like obvious ploys, right?"

"I guess," he muttered. "Look, I'll think about it. And we'll need to discuss this with everyone else, too, when lunch comes around."

"Good," I said, sighing a breath of relief. "I'd better apologize to Jen, too…"

"For what? Interrupting my class?"

Whoops. Just then I was looking back to the front, where Ms. Seki was staring at the two of us, arms folded, tapping her foot.

"Are we done with our little soap opera, boys…?"

"Yes, ma'am…!"

"I appreciate your manners."

… wow, she must have been in a good mood that day. I'm actually _surprised_ she didn't give Hirokazu and me detention after that.

* * *

( POV – Nobody )

* * *

"See you after school, Renamon," Ruki shouted out to her partner as she biked off to her private school. "Let me know if I get anymore calls…!"

"Ten-four," Renamon responded, being oddly cheerful. She was happy that her Tamer was giving everyone a chance in the festival this weekend… it was really telling her that Ruki was growing up. Maybe this way everyone, and not just Juri would be generally more friendly to her. She recalled the harder times in times past, where Ruki wouldn't accept anyone, therefore made pretty bad first impressions on Jenrya and Takato. Even later on, bad first impressions on Kenta and Hirokazu. And Ryo, oh dear lord, Ryo…

Speaking of Ryo, he was suddenly there, next to the gate that lead to Ruki's house. Renamon gasped and leapt to the ground, off her tree. She certainly wasn't expecting any company… especially not just before school…

"Ah, nuts," Ryo said with disappointment, even though he was clearly smirking. "Just missed her."

"Shouldn't you be in school, Ryo?" Renamon asked, and not in a friendly way.

"I got off early," Ryo looked to Renamon innocently. "Dentist appointment in half an hour."

"So, what are you doing here? Isn't the dentists' office far into the city?"

"Dad's picking me up here in his cab; he knows this place," Ryo explained in his relaxed manner. "I was just hoping to see Ruki before she went off for school."

"Well, you just missed her," Renamon reiterated.

"So I see," Ryo noted as he leaned against a wall. "So, did she get my call last night?"

"She got everyone's calls," Ruki's Digimon clarified.

"And…?"

"She's giving you all a chance. So you won't be getting a date, but you should be thankful that she didn't turn you down." Renamon advised coldly.

"That's right," Ryo grinned. "Heh, now I remember Hirokazu saying something about giving her a call, too."

"While I'm happy that you're all concerned for her welfare and are willing to keep her company, I have to warn you to not cross Ruki," Renamon said. "She's already getting nervous of the outcome of this festival, and she doesn't want to be disappointed."

"Renamoooon," Ryo fake-whined as he shook his head. "You know me better than that! I would never pressure Ruki into anything she doesn't want to do. I don't know _who_ would, anyway; she's a feisty one."

"I'm just telling you to watch your back," Renamon told him, as if trying to be foreshadowing. "You're aware you have competition, and you both promised her that this wasn't a date, so don't treat it like one, are we clear?"

"Crystal," Ryo replied. "But you trust me, right?"

"As much as I would the rest of you," Renamon answered. "I'm not trying to push you away from Ruki… more than anything, I'd love to see her be happy with someone, but Ruki's just not any ordinary girl, Ryo."

"As I'm totally aware of," Ryo said with a smile. "That's why I like her so much."

"Just be careful, for your own sake."

"No problemo!"

"Hope you don't wind up with cavities," Renamon wished jokingly, though she didn't sound any less serious than she normally did. With that, she disappeared back into her tree.

"I _always_ watched Cardcaptor Sakura when I was younger," Ryo snickered. "So I _always_ listened to Kero and brushed my teeth."

He looked up into the morning sky and greeted the new tomorrow, hoping for the best.

* * *

( TBC ) 


	3. Plans of Excitement and Plots of Evil

**( Notes:**

**This time, I did a lot more editing of the dialogue. I gave Ruki something of a more legitimate reason to prank Jenrya, Renamon's vocabulary is a bit more flowery now, and I did lots of fancy rewordings for Jenrya's social status. Not really a noteworthy chapter, still, but it looks a lot better now.**

**Interesting thing I always experience when I revise my stuff: I almost wonder if the dubbers of Digimon got most of their dub names from Microsoft Office's ****spellchecker. Seriously. At the very least, Henry is on the list for Jenrya alternatives, as is Jeri for Juri… eh, I thought it was pretty amusing. )**

* * *

( POV – Takato )

* * *

Having 'Kazu around made it easier to sit through the rest of Ms. Seki's class, even though I couldn't talk to him anymore. Not that there was anything left to discuss, so no big loss there, I suppose. Now that he knows about my little dilemma, I'm actually kind of worried that he'll try and _do_ something about it, which I REALLY don't need right now; more people getting muddled into my problems. It's bad enough that I already dragged Jenrya into the same physical state as me. There's no sense in involving anyone else in this just because I can't tell Juri how much I love her to her face. It's my problem, so **I** need to take a stand for myself and DO something about this!

It's just… how I'm gonna go about it… that's my real problem…

Lunch was going to start soon. I found myself staring at the clock's hands progressively reaching up to the 12. All of a sudden, I was wondering how Jen was doing in his class… or if he was even _awake_ right now. Poor Jen… it's my fault that you can't stay up and perform at your academic best. It's a good thing he'd called me yesterday… he'd probably walk straight home instead of discuss our plans regarding the festival. He probably already won't be giving too much input during lunch since he has to study. I'm just glad he's at least coming. I think it'd do him good to be with us in something that wasn't school-related or Digimon-related. At least, it should make him feel like he really _has_ friends as opposed to just 'teammates'. It's really sad… after all we've been through, and after we've helped him through so much, Jenrya still has these reclusive mannerisms as if he never really integrated with the rest of us… as if he never had any friends to begin with…

I sighed and looked back to the front. Ms. Mikou was one of my sharper teachers; she could pinpoint any face in her crowd of students and tell which one of us is paying attention, and which one's off daydreaming.

Not that I was daydreaming, no. But she'd probably think I was. The bell's gonna ring in a couple of minutes, anyway. She can't squish in a lesson about the Pythagorean Theorem in that timeframe. God, teachers who make use of every minute of their time are so irritating…

… I have to get through this, somehow. I have to get this over with, and quit stalling. It'll be easier on both Juri and me if I just get this out of my system. Besides, I'm sure if I wasn't worrying myself sick over this issue, I could better focus on Jen's problems… and just let him know I'm always there for him… I mean, I'm his _friend_… surely he knows that…

"Matsuda!"

I blinked and looked straight into Ms. Mikou's eyes. "Yes, ma'am! A squared plus B cubed equals… uh…"

She smiled… and… ugh, Ms. Mikou has particularly evil smiles. "Interesting. It seems you're _trying_ to pay attention to the lecture."

"O-of course," I said with a nervous laugh. I scratched my head as all my fellow classmates turned their heads to me… like I was the new attraction in the circus. God, I should've taken a lower-level Math class… I hate being in here with all these _snobs_…

"As I should expect of you," Ms. Mikou said with a nod. "So, you can tell me the _entire _formula of the Pythagorean Theorem, right? I **do** expect you to memorize this by tomorrow."

I froze, trying to find an answer… curse the Pythagorean Theorem and its intimidating long name…!

And then I'm saved once again by the bell, signaling the beginning of the lunch period.

Ms. Mikou sighed and sat down, making the hand gesture for the class to leave. "It must be your lucky day, Matsuda."

I just chuckled uneasily as I stood up and gathered my things.

"Just get a good night's rest tonight. You look like you need one right now."

Already to the door, I nodded to my math teacher. "Heh, thanks."

Not wanting to prolong this uncomfortable moment, I left the room and headed for my locker. After stuffing all my things inside, I put on a determined face and headed for the lunchroom.

* * *

( POV – Nobody )

* * *

The Tamers made a point to sit at the same circle table in the corner of the lunchroom every day since their previous adventures. There was one seat left empty, which was reserved for Takato when he came in. Jenrya, Juri, Hirokazu, and Kenta were all present and accounted for. Everyone had either a tray of food or a lunch box with them. Kenta, being well-prepared, already had a book or two stacked next to his tray and was turning to a page of the section they'd be having the test over in the next class. Juri was looking as pleasant as always; politely eating her lunch and watching her friends talk amongst themselves. Jenrya was an utter wreck, really looking no more awake than he was in the morning. His brief nap earlier did little to aid him for his first four classes; in fact, he appeared to look even more tired than before as a result. Nonetheless, he was still able to maintain the energy to sit up, stay awake, and listen to Kenta going over the timeline of the Renaissance.

Hirokazu sat in what he considered the 'head' of the table, intently watching the actions of his friends, and made an occasional glance at the empty seat between Jenrya and Juri. Taking a bite of his rice ball, Hirokazu cleared his throat in an attempt to get the attention of his peers and let them know he had something he wanted to say.

His only willing audience was a yellow sock puppet.

"Rrruff!" The Puppet went. Hirokazu sweatdropped and looked to its controller, Juri Katou. "You wanted to say something, 'Kazu? I'm always willing to listen!"

Hirokazu shook his head and gently pushed The Puppet away from him. "Not necessary. I was just about to make a comment on how torn up Takato must be today. First he's nearly late for school, now he's late coming to lunch."

"I see," Juri mumbled as she looked to her Puppet. "Takato really must be working with some issues like you said…"

Hirokazu was about to respond to that, until he was interrupted…

"Arf! Thaaat's right! But Takato won't feel better until he talks to his friends about it!"

"I see," said Juri. "Well, how about I give him some of my chocolate when he gets here? I'm sure that'll make him feel better!"

"Yes, yes! The chocolate cookie will work! Because we all know Juri's cookies are better than the school's by a hundred-fold!"

This display of raw insanity was beginning to annoy Hirokazu… well, that and the fact that Juri chose to talk to _herself_ rather than him.

"I'm sorry, Hirokazu," Juri apologized as she looked to her friend again. "Did you want to say something?"

The response she was given was another shake of the head. And just then, Takato was seen careening through the lunchroom, bento box in hand, making his way to the table.

Kenta looked up from his book. "There he is. About time…"

Juri smiled and turned sideways in her seat, positioning herself to look at Takato trying to get over with them. She cheerfully waved at him, which, on impulse, made Takato blush as usual as he squeezed his way through the other kids to get to his desired location. Exhausted and frantic, Takato set his lunch box onto the table when he arrived, and practically collapsed into his seat. Apparently, Jenrya was mentally out of it enough to not even notice Takato until he saw his begoggled companion crash right next to him.

"Sorry I'm late," Takato apologized between his rapid breathing patterns. "People REALLY need to learn how to walk in these hallways…"

"Well, at least it seemed to wake you up," Hirokazu pointed out. "Jen here's still non-functional."

Takato looked to Jenrya with the most innocent guilty face he could muster. All he received was a small smile from his friend in return; no words were said.

"You really should try and eat something," Juri suggested, tapping Jenrya's lunch tray. "I'm sure you'll wake up a little bit after you've got some food in you."

Jenrya only slumped to the point where Juri couldn't see his face. Again, he said nothing.

"I think he's too tired to even pick up and _eat_ something," Kenta assumed with a hint of impatience in his voice. "Jen, if you want me to help you, you're gonna have to participate. You can't really study if you don't give me any input proving to me that you know this!"

Takato sighed. "Don't be so harsh on him, Kenta. It's my fault he's tired, anyway. I—"

Takato was cut off as Jenrya gently placed a hand over Takato's mouth. Jenrya looked up so he and Takato were on the same eye level, as he gave Takato another reassuring smile.

"You don't need to tell them," Jenrya said quietly to Takato, as Takato noticed, despite his condition, Jenrya could maintain his usual calm and friendly tone of voice. "I'm not mad at you."

Takato didn't know what to think of this. He certainly didn't expect Jenrya to be so calm, that was for sure. Still, Takato couldn't help but feel extremely guilty about putting his friend in such a position where he was too tired to even eat. As Takato slowly took Jenrya's hand away from his face, he could only look down, still having a desire to somehow make this up to his friend. After all, he was the only friend Jenrya was particularly close to… he couldn't treat Jenrya like this and not do something about it…

Hirokazu watched this with amusement. Not to mention confusion, as he recalled Takato saying _something_ about apologizing to Jen earlier today…

"How's this your fault?" Kenta inquired as he closed his book and put it aside. "Do you happen to know why Jenrya didn't sleep well last night?"

Takato looked to Jenrya as he considered telling his friends about the situation anyway. Jenrya was already staring away at the walls, resuming his zombie-like state of sleepiness.

"N-no, just forget about it; no big deal," Takato dismissed, waving a hand. "Say, 'Kazu, didn't you want to discuss some things regarding the festival this weekend?"

Taking pride in being noticed again, Hirokazu gave a confident nod and leaned over the table towards everyone else. "I did. Since some _certain people_ are chickening out at the opportunities lying within this outing, Takato and I decided that it'd be nice if we could all come together."

"That sounds nice," Juri commented. "I called Ruki yesterday, but I never heard back from her. It's okay if she comes, right?"

"There's no doubt in my mind that she'll be coming," Hirokazu assured. "I invited her too, and Ryo probably did as well, so we've already got a big group just from asking her."

Juri grinned in delight of this, knowing Ruki would certainly not be feeling so alone now. "How about you, Kenta? Didn't anyone invite you?"

"I **assumed** Hirokazu was going to invite me too, seeing as he's obviously not getting a date out of Ruki this weekend."

Hirokazu snickered as he patted his friend on the shoulder. "You know I wouldn't ditch you like that anyway!"

Takato's gaze moved to Juri as that dreaded 'invite' topic came up. So she already invited Ruki… he knew it'd be pointless to ask her out now. Still… if they were all going out together…

"How about you, Takato?" Juri asked just then. "You're going, right? I mean, if you planned it all with 'Kazu…"

Takato blinked, not expecting to have the attention focused on him so soon…

"R-right. Jen and I are coming together." A short pause, as Takato took a deep breath. "I was… going to ask you to come along, but…"

"How sweet of you," Juri complimented; giving her friend a smile that told him she was deeply flattered in his consideration for her. "Sweet indeed!" She made her Puppet concur. "But now we can all come together, so there's no need to worry!"

"Exactly," Takato noted, feeling another fit of blushing coming on. "I'm sure it'll be great…"

"We should organize this thing right so we can save time," Kenta informed. "Time flies when you're having fun, you know. We need to set some time to meet at and where _to_ meet, if we really want to do this whole thing together."

Hirokazu peace-signed his friend in his lazy casual manner and looked around at all his friends in the circle. "I'll take care of that. We basically meet when it starts, and we'll be meeting right in front of the place, somewhere nice and secluded from the lines and everything so it'll be easy to find each other and group up. And nobody's allowed to be late. Got it?"

"Yup!" everyone replied in unison.

"So, that's taken care of," Hirokazu confirmed, and already putting it behind him. "What day _is_ it, anyway?"

"Thursday, of course," Kenta replied. "Ms. Kusakabe's only been announcing our history test to come on this day for a week and a half, now. Isn't that right, Jen?"

Jenrya, still visibly exhausted and irritated, turned to look at his fellow intellectual companion. "Somehow I've mysteriously forgotten all about the test until you told me today."

"That's not good," Kenta scolded, shaking his head. "He's been telling us that this is a giant unit-length test, Jen. Are you telling me that you haven't studied _at all_ since he first announced the test?"

"I'll wing it," Jenrya assured with a yawn. "I think I've been sick this month or something…"

"Really?" Takato cut in, by now looking really worried. "But you seemed just fine yesterday…"

"And don't blame it on PMS like Kenta here did last time," Hirokazu remarked in his ever-snide manner. In that moment, Kenta just glared at the table, blushing furiously. "We know now that's a lame, impossible excuse."

"Gross," commented Jenrya, flinching at the thought. Sadly, that's the most emotion he had shown so far today.

"You'll feel better by Saturday, right?" Juri asked, and just like Takato, was genuinely concerned. "I mean, you can't miss out on such a huge event, Jenrya… I'd like you to take advantage of it so we can grow closer as friends! It doesn't really feel like we've known you for two years…"

Jenrya knew Juri was speaking the truth. Handling Digimon issues and new friends at the same time was a giant hassle… and, depressing as it was, Jenrya chose to focus more on the Digimon than making new friends at that time. Now that the fighting was over, Jenrya had found himself surrounded by teammates he barely even knew… save for Takato, of course. But his ridiculous study habits kept him from even knowing his best friend inside out. It was time to switch priorities. After all, Jenrya knew that sometimes he just had to do things for his **own** benefit for once, not just everyone else's.

Rubbing a sleepy eye, Jenrya straightened up from his slump. "You're right, Juri. And I'm sorry… I want to know you guys better, too. Terriermon being my alternative to you guys can't possibly be a good sign."

Takato playfully slung an arm over Lee's shoulder and gave him a friendly squeeze. "I don't see how anyone could _not_ like you, Jen! You're such a nice guy."

The only response Jenrya could give for that was a nervous chuckle. He didn't think it was a good time, much less the right time to tell everyone that he became so unpopular by being the renowned 'karate maniac'.

"Well, I know Ryo, and he's no anti-social, so he's totally coming with us," Hirokazu figured, counting on his fingers. "So, assuming Ruki's definitely coming too, that means all of us are gonna be there. Jen, face it, you're not missing out."

"I wouldn't miss it for anything," Jenrya assured. "I've been dying to have a moment without my brother and sisters…"

"It must be so annoying to have siblings," Kenta mumbled as he finished up his lunch. "I'm always thankful that I'm an only child."

Juri nodded in agreement. "I love Masahiko, I really do, but he can be a big pain sometimes… I guess it's his age. I just never figured they would be so obnoxious. Shuichon didn't seem so bad."

Jenrya couldn't help but smirk. "You really weren't paying attention to us back then in the Digital World, were you?"

"I guess I am just making assumptions…"

"Well, at least we have this whole event planned out," Takato said with a sigh of relief. "But someone should tell Ruki and Ryo about it…"

"Done!"

Kenta blinked a few times. "Quick to take up that offer, aren't we, 'Kazu?"

Hirokazu just grinned and slicked his hair back. "What can I say? Not like I have anything else to do today."

"Fair enough," said Takato. "But who wants to tell Ryo?"

"I'll tell him too!"

It was Jenrya's turn to blink. "You're gonna tell them both?"

"Why not? I mean, they're both close friends of mine," Hirokazu explained in his most sophisticated manner. "Right?"

"I guess," Juri said uneasily. "But you know with Ruki, it would be a heavily one-sided friendship!" spoke her Puppet-persona.

"Not important," Hirokazu dismissed with the wave of a hand. "Just leave it all to me. They'll know what we'll be doing this weekend."

"If you insist," Takato conceded, also sounding uncomfortable in leaving _any_ duty responsible to Hirokazu. "But isn't Ryo, like, your romantic rival or something?"

"Maybe," Hirokazu admitted, with a hint of despair in his voice. "But it doesn't change the fact that I love that guy to death! I mean, he's my hero! He's who **I** want to be when I grow up!"

… There was a small period of silence.

"You never told **me** you liked him that much," Kenta said suspiciously.

"I know," Hirokazu acknowledged, his eyes sparkling with admiration. "It's always been a secret of mine… it doesn't matter that he and I are after the same girl… I'd never disrespect him!"

Takato could only sweatdrop. "Did anyone ever tell you that you're really bad at being secretive?"

"I honestly wouldn't be surprised if he was after both Ruki _and_ Ryo," Jenrya muttered to Juri.

On that notion, Juri blanched. "Ohh, don't say that… Hirokazu isn't promiscuous…"

"Then explain why he took forever breaking up with Kenta even **after** having massive crushes on them…"

"SILENCE!" Hirokazu shouted, trying to act like the leader again. "There will be no rumor-spreading of me at the table!"

"Now you sound like my mother," Kenta commented as he stood up. "Jen, if you're not going to study, that's your problem. But lunch is gonna end soon and _I'd_ like to get in some cramming time before the test, just to be safe. I can't concentrate in here."

"I'll meet you there," Jenrya said with yet another yawn.

Kenta just slumped. "Just make sure you eat something before you go. I'll see you guys later."

Hirokazu stood up from his seat just as Kenta had left.

"Well, I'd better hurry and get to class, too," he told his remaining friends. "I need some thinking time on how I'm planning to tell Ryo and Ruki about what we planned for this weekend!"

Takato just smiled. "God forbid you doing something like studying, right?"

"Perish the thought," Hirokazu replied. "Not when I have the two coolest people in the world to think about…! Later."

With that, only Takato, Jenrya and Juri were left at the table.

"Are you sure you'll be okay enough to take the test?" Juri asked Jenrya, reassuming her role of the concerned, caring friend. "Maybe you should take a nap at the Nurse's office or something…"

"Don't worry; I'm fine," Jenrya told her, still trying to convince his friends that he wasn't so bad off… "It's not like I'm sick. I think it's better to get this test out of the way as soon as I can. Then I don't have to waste time worrying about it when I finally do get to sleep."

"I just don't think it's a good idea to take a big test in your condition," Juri warned. "But… if that's how you want to take care of it, I can't really stop you, I guess… just please be better by the weekend, okay?"

"I promise," Jenrya said. "I wouldn't mess up this event for anything."

"That's great," Juri said, holding her Puppet up to shoulders'-length. "Great!"

Jenrya chuckled very quietly, as if on reflex. "It's no wonder why Takato and everyone else likes you so much. You can always make people smile."

"I guess it's a talent I'm born with," Juri cheerfully assumed. Then she looked back to Takato. "So, how about you, Takato? I swear, between you two I'll be worrying myself sick tonight."

"I-it was just an insomnia attack, I swear! It's also kind of… the reason why Jen's sleepy too…"

"What do you mean?"

Jenrya looked to his best friend, sensing the guilt vibes emerging from him. "Takato, I said you didn't have to…"

"I'd rather not leave everyone just wondering," Takato explained. "Juri, I… took your advice, and… I got a journal yesterday…"

Juri's eyes widened with delight. "You did…?"

"Yeah," Takato confirmed, looking down sadly. "I'm not sure if it's what I need yet, I'll need more time… the point is, I found myself unable to sleep last night, so, I kinda… called Jen in the middle of the night to ask for help…"

Juri winced. "No wonder… don't you know it's rude to do that?"

"I wasn't thinking," Takato admitted. "And I didn't know what else to do. I expected Jen to be mad, though…"

"I'm not mad," Jenrya reiterated. "I actually feel bad that I wasn't there for you in your time of need."

"It was the middle of the night, Jen!" Takato reminded. "I shouldn't expect you to be there for me all the time… nor anyone else…"

"As long as it was an honest mistake, let's put it behind us," Juri cut in. "But I'm curious… what was your problem, Takato?"

"I… I don't know, really," Takato answered quietly. Even though he knew very well what his problem was. At least… most of it, right…?

"Even though you shouldn't have called me at that time, I still feel like I should make this up to you," Jenrya insisted. "If you really don't know what's troubling you, let us help out. Maybe we can figure out what's bothering you, and we can help you through it…"

"That's a great idea!" Juri exclaimed. "I'd be more than happy to help you out. We'll do it together, okay?"

Takato found himself rather speechless by now.

"There's no need to worry," Jenrya assured. "We're your most trusted friends, remember? Your pain is our pain."

"Well, um… I guess…"

"We'll focus on it after the festival!" Juri decided, as she stood up. "Maybe a dose of fun will help you two feel better, anyway. I think we should all get to class now, though." Holding up her Puppet again… "Being tardy equals a painful detention!"

Takato and Jenrya nodded with their nervous "Right, right"s as Juri exited the lunchroom.

With one last yawn, Jenrya's expressions changed to a warm smile.

"See, Takato? We're always here for you."

Takato smiled back at Jenrya, finally feeling a sense of comfort within the promises of his friends. "I appreciate it."

"It's funny," Jenrya said, turning around in his seat. "Considering I've been beside myself for most of my childhood, and the fact that Ruki and I don't exactly mesh, I always thought that I'd have bad luck with girls, since I apparently seem to turn so many off."

"Oh?" Takato mumbled, not quite getting what Jenrya was getting at.

"I never imagined that Juri would be so happy in getting to know me," Jenrya said happily. "I'm surprised that we actually get along… Takato, I think this means I don't have to be nervous around girls anymore!"

Takato blinked, still not quite understanding. "Right, Jen. Well, it's like I said… you're a great person once people get to know you. You're just shy, that's all… it doesn't matter, guy or girl, anyone can like you. If you can just open up enough. I'm sure you and Juri will be good friends."

Jenrya turned back to Takato. "I'm glad you think so. Maybe now I won't have to bother you all the time when I'm feeling lonely… it'd be nice to have some other friends to go to."

Second by second, Takato's confusion was turning into discomfort. "Right… well, maybe the festival will give you a good chance to get to know Juri and the others more than you ever did before."

"That's what I'm hoping for," Jenrya said longingly as he stood up from his chair. "Thanks for all your help, Takato. I hope everything works out between me and the others… I think I'm ready to really be one of the gang now."

* * *

( POV – Takato )

* * *

I rose from my seat as Jenrya was about to leave. It was odd… but something didn't sound quite right in what I was being told. Come to think of it, Jenrya was acting very similar to me lately… the whole… being quiet and shy around my closest friends thing… having inexplicable problems…

And I knew my behavior was very well stemming from certain feelings for a certain someone that I was keeping locked away as a secret… a secret I was too scared to admit to that person…

… No.

Jen wasn't like that, was he? There was no way… Jenrya was always more mature, beyond that whole 'crushing' stage…

Right?

Right.

Eheh… why was I even worried? Jen wouldn't do that to me. Besides, I like him more just as a single guy… he has an admirable independence from that sort of thing, unlike me… besides, emotions would cloud up his logic…

Right? … Right.

"I hope you do well on the test!" I shouted out to him just before he disappeared into the hallway. "Good luck!"

Jenrya paused before completely exiting and waved back to me. He didn't say anything, but he didn't need to…

Friends like Jen don't come by often, now do they?

* * *

( POV – Nobody )

* * *

"Love is stupid," Ruki muttered as she walked along the sidewalk, heading for home. It was barely time for school to end, but eerily school was called off early today. Something about a water main busting…

"You're not one to quite change your ways, are you?"

"If the best I can attract is two Rooster Heads, then I definitely have a right to say love is stupid, Renamon."

Renamon blinked as she walked along a fence next to Ruki. "Would you have preferred someone else liked you, then?"

"Whoops, didn't mean to open _that_ can of worms…"

"You're so young," said Renamon. "And it's not like you know many other boys."

"I guess you're right," Ruki admitted. "How could I, though? How could anyone who goes to an all-girls private school?"

"Well, how about Takato?" Renamon suggested.

"EW!"

"… Sorry I asked," Renamon apologized. "How about Jenr—"

"EW!"

"… Okay…"

"Renamon, just _thinking_ about those two making lovey-dovey gestures at makes me nauseous," Ruki said with as much honesty as she could muster. "I can respect them as Tamers and friends, but… you couldn't _pay_ me to date either of them."

"I can see you've thought about this before."

"Guilty as charged," Ruki affirmed. "Takato and Jenrya couldn't handle me. Besides, honestly… I've felt like a third wheel more often than not when it came to the three of us. And compared to me, really… they're kind of dull. That's why I mostly hang out with just Juri these days…"

"Point taken," Renamon conceded. "And Kenta…?"

"Lame," Ruki said immediately. "Total 'Kazu-Wannabe. Who in turn is a Ryo-Wannabe… and now Kenta more resembles a Jenrya-Wannabe… so it's just a giant chain of Wannabe's."

"I suppose you've been around them enough to make that kind of judgment," Renamon said sadly. "Especially after we met Jijimon and Babamon."

"Don't remind me," Ruki muttered as she continued walking, but at a faster pace. "I guess considering the other options, Hirokazu and Ryo aren't _that_ bad, but I'd still stab myself in the head before dating either of them."

"Interestingly put," Renamon commented. "I guess that's all we need to say about that."

"Pretty much," Ruki replied. "Who needs love, anyway? You've seen what a sap it made Takato."

"Again, good point," Renamon commended. "You've always been razor sharp, Ruki."

"Make way, kiddo! Teen sensation coming through…!"

Ruki turned her head slightly to get a small glimpse of a shorthaired girl on roller-skates coming her way, and quickly. Ruki wisely hopped next to the fence to make room for the girl to pass by. The girl complied and made her way through, but then stopped short when she noticed Renamon was there and still standing on the fence.

The girl brushed a few strands of her maroon hair as she looked hard at Renamon, just making sure she wasn't seeing things out of a short delirium, due to the fact that she was temporarily short on breath from her run on the skates.

"Hey," she finally said. "That's a Digimon! …um, I think I remember which, uh…"

"Renamon," Ruki's partner said with a nod. "I hope I'm not too hard to remember."

"Sorry, I never bothered memorizing the names of all of my brother's friends," the girl admitted. She turned to Ruki. "I think I remember you too! Makino, right?"

"Jaarin Lee," Ruki acknowledged in her typical emotionless tone. Sure, Ruki was usually more willing to be open when it came to girls… but after hearing the horror stories Jenrya and Terriermon shared, Ruki was more than wary when it came to the rest of the Lee family…

"Bingo! So you do remember me," Jaarin said happily, grinning. "What're you doing out so early from school?"

"I could be asking you the same thing."

"You're funny," Jaarin complimented. "It's a wonder why Jenrya hardly talks about you. I'm off to Driver's Ed! My first day… how about you?"

"School crisis or something," Ruki muttered. "If you care that much, check it out yourself."

"Ruki isn't in a very good mood today," Renamon attempted to explain. "She's going to the festival with your brother and all their friends this weekend."

"Are you serious?" Jaarin asked. "That's cool! Jen's going, yeah, he's psyched because it's his first year where he doesn't have to tag along with us all the time. Not that I won't be going or anything…!"

"Doesn't that kind of ruin the whole purpose of going alone for him?" Ruki wondered out loud.

"I'll be going, but not with the family. Shuichon's coming too, but with Mom and Dad. We'll be doing our own thing, don't worry. I'll actually be manning one of the booths!"

"Which one?" asked Ruki.

"Probably one with a game," Jaarin figured. "I'd like to do the one where you have to knock down little cans with a ball…"

"That sounds rather simplistic," Renamon commented.

"Well, I think it'd be something neat for me to do," Jaarin reasoned. "And it'd be really fun if Jenrya happened to stop by there. I could rig the game just for him just to pull a little prank. I never did get him back from last time…" After saying that, Jaarin grinned a massive grin to end all grins.

Ruki was taken aback. "You'd really do that to your own brother in front of his friends…?"

Jaarin nodded.

It was Ruki's turn to grin, now. "Hey, that actually sounds like a fun idea."

Renamon couldn't believe it. "Ruki, honestly…"

"Renamon," Ruki said, sounding clearly annoyed. "If Jenrya had even an inkling of a sense of humor, he'd appreciate the attention we're giving to him, even if it is a public prank. Besides, it's the most positive, non-destructive way I can think of blowing off some steam, and we'll all get a good laugh out of it. Besides, if he's done something to Jaarin, then I'd say he's due for a little karma payback anyway."

"I'm totally in the right to plan any sort of prank I want," Jaarin added. "Brothers and sisters do these things to each other all the time! I would know, having three of my own! Jenrya's hands are far from clean."

"Well, being one of his," Ruki coughed just then. "_Friends_, I must say your revenge plot utterly fascinates me. I'd be honored to assist you."

"That's the spirit, kiddo!" Jaarin cheered. "I'll cook up a plan, and I'll tell you all about it during the festival! I mean, sure, it's a nasty trick, but it's all out of love, right?"

Ruki was silent for a long time. "… uh, sure. Whatever."

"I'll see you when I see you, then!" Jaarin shouted as she waved, and then promptly skated off.

Ruki smirked, having felt she accomplished something.

"Well, it's good to know not every Lee lacks a sense of humor."

"I'm still not sure, Ruki," Renamon said with great concern. "Would Juri appreciate that kind of behavior?"

"Juri never _talks _to him, why would she care? The only one who ever does talk to him is Takato, and I couldn't care less of what he thinks, because his sense of humor stinks too."

"If you're that certain of it," Renamon assumed, still not believing Ruki was all that sure herself. "I just hope everyone enjoys themselves. _Even_ Jenrya."

"Of course he will. You worry too much, Renamon," Ruki claimed. "Now let's get home. I need to pick out a good outfit to wear before Mom bombards me with a lot of crappy-looking outlandish ones."

"I suppose it's important to look your best."

Renamon and Ruki continued walking towards home. It was noon on a Thursday, and to think so much would be in store for them and the others in the days following them…

* * *

( TBC ) 


	4. Loathing and Lusting

**( Notes**

**Last chapter before ****the plot takes a turn for the worst, apparently! Both triangles should be obvious now. Chapter 5 is actually the one that set a lot of people off… for some pretty obvious reasons, natch. Same usual modifications here as in previous chapters: sentence rewordings, fangirlese eliminated, and the works. It's fun to actually review this again. Oh well, I hope you're having fun too. )**

* * *

[ POV – Takato

* * *

For once, Friday didn't drag on forever. It didn't seem like it to me, at least. For 'Kazu, it probably lasted an eternity. Then again, he's naturally impatient. You could always tell with him, especially when he starts clawing at his desk and foaming at the mouth during class. Everyone else had been pretty calm about it; even Kenta, who seemed more indifferent about it than anyone. Hirokazu came through for us, though, and he let Ruki and Ryo know about our plans. So it's official… we're all going. I just felt so nervous now… couldn't see why, though. I've repeatedly told myself time and time again that this is _not_ a date. Not for me; not for anyone…

There were just some things I couldn't stop thinking about, I guess. Ever since Juri told me to get a journal, I haven't been able to concentrate on anything but my problems. As for writing in the journal, well… I kept making an honest effort for Juri's sake, but it just wasn't working for me. My thoughts usually die out by the third sentence or so, and I can never bring myself to care enough to complete it. I'm just not made for being a writer. Maybe I'd be better off making comics of my daily life… maybe that's how manga artists come to be…

I guess I'm a bit worried. And scared, not to mention paranoid… I've found myself paying a lot more attention to my friends than I ever have before. Specifically Juri and Jen… without having Digimon encounters to wonder about, I'm suddenly finding things out about my friends that I'd never before suspected. We're changing, I guess… or just growing up. We're preteens now, after all. It's just that everything's gone so fast, now. Hirokazu and Kenta had gotten together and then split up… now Hirokazu's in love_ again_, with Ruki, who's also being chased after by Ryo. Juri seems as nice and mature as ever, and she's been pretty open about herself as far as I know… but how I feel about her is really getting to be a hindrance. It's already affecting my performance levels in my work, both at school and the kind of work I do for fun. But really, when _is_ the best time to tell when you're ready to tell the girl you've been crushing on for years that you like her? Does it just hit you in an instant, or do you wait until it totally takes control of your life so you just finally **do** it so you can move on?

As for Jenrya, well… he's an enigma in himself. We've grown to be really close friends, and we usually go to each other when we have a problem, but I never know what to do when Jen gets all distant and nervous like he's been lately. I don't think anyone does, really. Maybe it _is_ good that Jen's becoming friends with Juri. I could sometimes use a second opinion when I'm trying to help him out… but he's MY best friend! Not Juri's! Why should she need to muddle into Jen's problems when she's got enough of her own and fulfilling her best friend duties with Ruki? I don't need her help. I can help Jenrya just fine on my own. Besides, it's not like I'm going around and helping Ruki whenever she has a temper tantrum. Granted, that's because I've learned to know better than to stick my nose in Ruki's business when she obviously doesn't want my help. A guy can only take so many threats from a girl who's superior in combat… man, has my self-esteem gone through the wringer these past two years. But really, what do Jenrya and Juri have in common, anyway…?

…

O… kay, so maybe they do have a lot in common. Maybe more than I do with Jen… or even Juri herself. But what does that matter? Diversity is fundamental in a good friendship! I mean, look at Hirokazu and Kenta—… well, maybe that's not a good example. Maybe Ruki and Juri would be better. They're polar opposites, right? … But… I'm not THAT different from Jenrya, am I? I mean, I never thought I was… we're definitely not identical, but we do share _some_ of the same opinions, surely… just like Juri; some, but not too much…

Maybe my time to confess to Juri would be soon. Because I just realized I've been thinking about this for 10 minutes, and I could've spent that 10 minutes actually writing these thoughts down than just letting them drift in my head to be buried in the back of my brain until a later time.

"Why can't I go?" whined a familiar voice. I just smiled tiredly as I continued to fumble with some various clothes in my closet. Festivals are special occasions… and my parents _did_ just get me a new kimono.

"You keep asking the same question," I noted. "And it's not like I'm going to give you an answer any different from my last one. You're just too big, Guilmon. If you were plush-sized like Terriermon, I might've considered it, but what exactly would you do in the festival, anyway?"

"I dunno," my partner responded after some seemingly deep thought. "What do you do in festivals?"

"Things Digimon as big as you probably can't do," I said cynically, but avoiding my sharpness in said cynicism. I'm not Ruki, you know. "Look, I know you, Guilmon, and knowing you, you're going to attack every food stand in the place, if you go on any of the rides, you'll probably break them either from your weight or your sheer strength, you're gonna scare the living daylights out of anyone you pass by, and you most likely won't be able to play any of the games. I'm not saying this to be mean, boy. I just really think if you go, you're gonna have a miserable time, and in turn, nobody else will enjoy themselves either, understand?"

"I guess so," was Guilmon's sullen response.

I sighed. "Jen's really looking forward to this. It's his first time out with us on something fun and responsibility-free, and I don't want to ruin that for him." Emotional persuasion wasn't working on my Digimon, so I tried to be positive. "Look, I doubt Renamon, Terriermon, Gaurdromon, and the other Digimon would be coming anyway for the same reasons as you. You can always hang out with your fellow 'mon while you let us cut loose, right?"

That brought Guilmon's smile back. "Sure!"

Seeing this compromise work made me grin. "Great. I'll get you some extra bread tomorrow evening before I head out, okay? You can form a meeting with everyone and have your own kind of fun while we're gone. Just don't do anything we wouldn't want you doing, okay?"

"Okeedoke!"

"All right then," I said, finally finding my kimono and pulling it out from the other clothes in the closet. "So, what do you think?" I turned around and presented the kimono to Guilmon. There was certainly nothing flashy about it, and I liked it that way, as opposed to my last one, which was an icky pale yellow… this one was a dull light blue; almost the color of my old parka that I wore in my Tamer days, but just a bit lighter in tint. My partner nodded in approval, but I halfway expected him to do that, anyway. A fashion guru, Guilmon ain't.

"Why do you hafta wear that in the festival anyway?" Guilmon asked me curiously.

"Tradition," was my succinct response. "I think everyone's going to be wearing one tomorrow night. I wonder what Juri's would look like…"

What _would_ hers look like? Probably really pretty, I bet. But how pretty, exactly? So pretty that it'll overwhelm me and make me turn as red as a beet? And make me stay like that for hours on end, even **after** the festival? Or would it be more modest? Because Juri's always been real modest. She's probably not the flashy type, either. Like me. Heheh… like me.

And what about Jenrya? I rarely see him in something different. It was a big adjustment when he stopped wearing his vest early this year. He just tends to stick with one style of clothing. It'll be interesting to see _him_ in a kimono… hopefully he didn't get one that looked like mine. Why am I worried about that, anyway?

I mean, it's just _kimonos_¸ geez.

"When're you gonna go?" Guilmon asked me.

"Sometime tomorrow afternoon, I guess," I figured. The festival doesn't really open up until the evening, but Hirokazu specifically wanted us there early do we could get first dibs on some of the activities. "I'll let you know when I get a call from someone signaling us to leave."

"Okay…" my Digimon had disappeared back into my closet without another word. I couldn't think of much else to say, myself.

I sat down on my bed, looking over to my journal, which was sitting at my desk. I contemplated taking some time to write in it before I went to bed (I need a good sleep before this big event, of course), but quickly I decided against it. I was tired of thinking in general. It gets exhausting to go through the psyche of Juri and Jenrya every other minute, you know? Writing about it might _just_ be overdoing it a little.

I mean, come on… all of my current entries so far center on them exclusively.

Well, no point on dwelling about it. As big as the festival would be, nothing serious is going to happen between any of my friends. This wasn't the time or the place for such things yet. We'll just go in all as platonic friends, and we'll leave… as friends; nothing more.

Time to sleep now.

* * *

( POV – Nobody )

* * *

Thankfully, the day of the festival had nothing but good weather bestowed upon it. Partly cloudy skies, a comfortable temperature of sixty-five degrees Fahrenheit… all was to go well today in terms of weather. But since it _was_ autumn, it would get chilly by the time the sun had set. The Tamers were all set on staying as late as they wanted to while they would be at the festival; just another ritual in the indulgence of freedom from their parents. A little cold would never shun them from that. No one, not even Kenta was expecting a mishap to unravel this outing into chaos, even though there was plenty of material for a potential problem… namely, something between Hirokazu, Ruki, and Ryo, no one fretted much over it. Everybody was fully set on having a good time.

How oblivious they all were… their unawareness was practically a breeding ground for a situation to arise…

"Wow, thank you _so_ much! I thought I'd have to walk the whole way!" Takato thanked in relief. It was in the middle of the afternoon and Jenrya, in all his humbleness, had offered Takato a ride to the festival via car. Rinchei was offering his siblings a ride; Jaarin, with her job responsibility jumped in on the opportunity, and convinced Jenrya to tag along, leaving their mother, father, and Shuichon to drive in at a later time. With one seat left available in the back, Jenrya called Takato up… thus, how this convenient ride turned out.

"I thought the same thing," Jenrya admitted. "I forgot Jaarin would be working at the festival, though. So this way, we'll be at the festival before anyone else."

"Hi, Takato!" Jaarin greeted cheerfully from her seat. "Ready to have fun?"

"I… guess so," Takato replied awkwardly. Even after spending so much time with Jenrya in his own house… the rest of the family members aside from Jenrya's parents sort of made him feel uncomfortable… probably an only child thing. Either that or the difference between Jenrya and his bold, outgoing siblings was just slightly jarring.

By this time, Takato was in the car and Rinchei had driven off. The festival wasn't too far away. From the Matsuda Bakery, it would only be five minutes or so by car.

"I'm not intruding, am I?" Takato asked the Lee siblings. "Are you sure Shuichon didn't want to come with you…?"

"She's not old enough," Rinchei explained. "Plus, Mom and Dad don't trust us well enough with her. She's a handful, even under their watch."

Jenrya rolled his eyes. "You two are just as wild. Besides, she'd be driving us crazy in here before we even get to the festival."

"You really should have more tolerance to it by now," Jaarin advised. "You know, you weren't a perfect angel when you were her age, either!"

Takato, with no experience whatsoever in the sibling debates, could only sit there and watch the exchanges.

"Mom and Dad said I was!" Jenrya claimed, frowning and folding his arms. "They just said I wasn't very social."

"You still aren't," Rinchei noted jokingly. "When I was your age, I'd have to cram in like 8 of my best friends into Dad's car to the festival. I've made so many girls cry every year whenever I ran out of room in the car…"

"I didn't even need to escort my friends to the festival," Jaarin said happily. "They all liked me so much, they let me ride in their vans because they wanted to impress me… ah, it feels nice having so many friends to love and trust surrounding you."

Takato smiled slightly, only because he could fully vouch for Jaarin's opinion.

"Shuichon already has like three best friends she invites over to the house like, every other day, right?" Rinchei asked. "Jen… you're breaking the tradition."

"I _have_ friends," Jenrya insisted. "In case you forgot, you just _picked up_ one of them."

"But he's the only one we're picking up!" Jaarin reminded. "And it's not even remotely surprising; we see Takato all the time. What about that Ruki girl, Jen? Aren't you friends with her?"

"In a way," Jenrya clarified. "It doesn't mean we're close or casual. Besides, she wouldn't want to come. She'd go off on a rant about how driving to the festival is for the weak and since she's so allegedly strong, she's going to walk the entire way and make it out like a big deal."

"She'd definitely say that," Takato defended. "To _anyone_." The idea of Ruki making such a claim was morbidly amusing for him, though, as he stifled a laugh.

"You must have other friends, Jenrya," Rinchei said. "Not _all_ of them would refuse a car ride…"

Jenrya's offended expressions changed to a smirk. "I'm just not so cruel to cram them all in a tiny, cruddy car, Rinchei."

With that, the car was significantly slowing down. Rinchei, looking clearly annoyed, turned his head to the back where Takato and Jenrya sat, and gave them both a sharp glare.

"I'm doing this purely out of kindness, you realize. If you have a problem, you can always step out of the car, and walk."

Takato shrunk back in his seat, with no urge to talk back whatsoever. He looked over to his friend, who also remained silent, but rather than being cowardly, was just glaring off at the side in defeat. Jaarin looked back at the two shortly after her older brother, specifically looking at Jenrya as well, in a guilt-inducing 'Don't-smart-off-to-your-brother-who's-doing-you-a-favor!' manner. At this point, for some reason Takato couldn't figure out, he noticed Jenrya was looking as if he was about to cry. He didn't fully understand… yet, he probably figured being ganged up on by your older brother and sister probably **would** be mildly upsetting.

After an uncomfortable moment or two of silence, both Jaarin and Rinchei pulled away and faced the front once again. The car was back at its normal speed. Takato exhaled a breath of relief, but only did it as quietly as possible. To draw attention from Jenrya's scary siblings might mean another tense moment that Jenrya didn't need.

For the remainder of the ride, no one dared to say anything. Jenrya remained looking sullen and beaten.

Takato looked to Jenrya sadly… he just couldn't help but feel sorry for him. _'I guess sometimes, I don't realize how good I have it as an only child,' _he thought.

Thankfully for all of them, they had arrived at the festival shortly after the argument. Everyone exited the car without saying a word, of course. Jaarin and Rinchei promptly went about their own separate ways; Takato and Jenrya went opposite the way the elder kids went, both eager to be as far away from them as possible.

As soon as they were out of sight from each other, Takato finally broke the silence. "Jen…"

"It's fine," Jenrya assured Takato, regaining the soft, warm and friendly tone of voice his best friend was so accustomed to. "It happens all the time. I'm used to it."

Takato didn't feel all too well by knowing that. "It doesn't seem right, Jen."

Jenrya only shrugged. "Maybe it's not. But I doubt it's much different from anyone else who has a brother or sister in the family. I guess you just don't understand how that goes sometimes…"

"Sorry," Takato apologized. "It's just that… it's bad enough for you go through that in school sometimes. But to be treated like that at home… I really wonder how you keep your composure so well."

"You'd be amazed at how well resistance holds up over the years," Jenrya told me. "I'm sure you can't take oppression the way I do. You never had the same lifestyle as me, Takato. And honestly, it's better that you don't. I think you're a much happier and healthier person for it."

"That makes sense, I guess," Takato admitted. But then a curiosity struck him. Lifestyles… _'Did Jen always have to live like this?'_

Suddenly, something abruptly bulged within Jenrya's black kimono. Takato just stood there staring, eyes widened, while Jenrya just smiled slightly and reached inside from the neck of his kimono, pulling out a Terriermon on the verge of suffocating.

"You could've TOLD me to get out right when you got out of the car!"

Jenrya chuckled warmly as Terriermon attached himself to his back. "Sorry about that. I was a little mentally occupied."

"Jeeeen," Terriermon whined. "That's _always_ your excuse! … Oh, hi Takato."

Takato blinked. "You… brought Terriermon. Jen, **why** did you bring Terriermon to a place like this?"

"'Cause I said so," Terriermon answered smugly, complete with an overly wide smile.

"He wouldn't stop complaining until I let him come along," Jenrya said, sweatdropping. "Terriermon got to the point where he was making threats to me. And he is small; anyone passing us will just think he's a toy I won from here."

Takato didn't exactly pay attention to Jenrya's last sentence. "He was threatening you?"

On that cue, Jenrya eyed Terriermon. "I'm sure you'd like the pleasure of explaining your deeds."

"You know it," Terriermon exclaimed cheerfully. "I told Jen if he wouldn't let me go with him, I'd eat all the food in the house, wreck anything fragile in the living room, and chew every cord to his computer into itty bitty pieces!"

Takato's response was a silent, wide-eyed stare.

Jenrya paused before speaking. "Ah… I can't live without my computer."

Takato suddenly knew what pity was.

"Jen listens to reason, thankfully," Terriermon said. "So I got to go, and here I am! Guess you guys are gonna have to deal with that. But if you're really going so you can get a hot date with Juri, Takato, I totally understand, and I won't bug you so much!" And, like he totally understood Takato's position, gave him a wink.

Takato's face looked absolutely scrambled in embarrassment. "This ISN'T a date, Terriermon." He looked to Jenrya, his gestures just begging his best friend for some backup.

"Ah, he's right," Jenrya said quickly, as he immediately sensed Takato's need for help. "We've already discussed it all in school, and we said this trip wouldn't be a date for anybody!"

"Aw, what a load of crap," Terriermon muttered. "How could you turn the possibility down?! You could get her EASILY by tonight! Heck, either of you could!"

Takato froze at that very moment, from that comment. While it was true, he was missing out on a big opportunity… did Terriermon just confirm his absolute **worst** fear? His _best friend_ after the girl Takato himself was obsessed over for years?

Jenrya immediately frowned. "Don't even think about it, Terriermon."

Takato mentally sighed a breath of relief.

"I'm just now starting to get to know her. To be her _boyfriend_, well… I'd have to work a lot harder for that."

Takato felt as if his heart just stopped.

"So," Terriermon said slyly. "You've thought about it?"

Jenrya shook his head. "Of course not. Takato's known her much longer. I think he'd manage with Juri much better than I ever could, anyway. I wouldn't interfere with them."

That made Takato feel a little better, but still fairly light-headed.

Terriermon leaped onto his partner's head and leaned over to get a good look at his face, albeit from an upside-down perspective.

"Your mouth says no, but your hormones say yes," he concluded.

After hearing that, Takato had fainted.

* * *

( POV – Ruki )

* * *

Well, this was definitely a first. Yes indeed, a first for my life.

There were _four_ people accompanying me to this godforsaken festival. **Four!** What in the hell did I do to have this kind of company? Sure, I wanted to come with Juri, but having Ryo, Hirokazu, _and_ Kenta tag along for the ride?

Just what were they thinking? Do they just not _care_ that they're effectively cramping my style?

Okay, I can't say I completely mind the attention I'm getting from this… I suppose it's better than everyone hating me, like they did before. Still, I never wanted to be smothered by a bunch of people I have to call 'acquaintances'. Especially if some are people I still have trouble tolerating. Since we're walking, that makes this trek to the festival feel longer and more painful.

I _knew_ I should've just gone to the stupid mall…

"Is everything okay, Ruki? You look like you're mad at something."

I just realized I'd been scowling this whole time. And now everyone was staring at me. "Oh… I'm not mad. Not at all… sorry if I worried you, Juri."

Juri smiled at me, clad in her olive green kimono. "You seem to have a lot on your mind."

"Not too much," I assured. "Maybe it's just PMS."

"If you have a problem, you wouldn't mind telling us, right?" Hirokazu asked, in his stupid, unassuming tone. "We're all buddies here!"

"I'm not telling YOU." I snapped at him. "And I _don't_ have a problem!"

Hirokazu was wearing this hideous brown kimono. Well, it wasn't so much as ugly as it was just boring… and bringing out EVERY annoying quality of that stupid Rooster Head. God, why can't he just get hit by a truck or something?! Then I wouldn't have to look at his **stupid** head anymore… maybe if he's lucky, the impact would knock the stupid out of him…

"For someone who doesn't have a problem, you seem to be overreacting a bit," Ryo noted, in his own retarded elderly know-it-all way. He thinks he's so perfect. I should give him perfect. A perfect _castration_. He won't be so proud of himself then, now would he?

"Just shut up!" I shouted. "Everyone just shut up! Juri can talk, but the rest of you aren't allowed to speak! If you piss me off again, I'm just going to turn the other way and go home! I'm **not** in the mood to be tried today."

All the boys had significantly backed off by this point. Juri looked quite aghast at my outburst.

I tried to smile again. "Whoops, I lost my temper already. My bad, Juri."

"I understand… I guess," Juri said, with a hint of uncertainty in her voice. "You seem kind of tense."

"That's just my way of staying on guard," I explained. "Boys are vicious monsters when they want to be."

Juri giggled. "If you say so, Ruki. I just hope you have fun. I'm sure nobody will spoil it for you."

Suspiciously, I looked over behind us where Hirokazu, Ryo, and Kenta were huddled together in their own private conversation… probably talking about how scary I am, big surprise. If that's so, I don't really care. I couldn't care less of what they think, because what they think holds no importance to me, or holds any relevance to the truth. But what if that wasn't it? What if they were conspiring against me, plotting to do some horrible prank on me? Or even worse, what if they're talking about how they're going to try and _kiss_ me before the festival's over? …Ew, god… no, I can't let that happen. I can't let something so immature get in the way of my own fun. I was already cooking up my own ways to make Jenrya the butt of the joke of the night, so they'd better not be planning anything to make me look like the bigger ass…

"I have my doubts," I whispered to Juri. "I'm not letting my guard down for a second." I looked back to the front, and prayed silently that this walk would end soon. I tried my best to focus my listening on what the boys were discussing…

They'd better not ruin this day for me. If they do, I'll plunge them in a nightmare world from which there is **no** return. Hope they like nightmare worlds! Nobody fucks with Ruki Makino.

Nobody.

* * *

( POV – Nobody )

* * *

"Can't you guys feel it?" Kenta wailed as quietly as he possibly could. "It's that aura again. Ruki has an aura from _hell_. If you two try to put the moves on her, that's where you're going to end up! Hell!"

"Relax, Kenta," Ryo said comfortably, looking much calmer than the other two men. "This is a good time to remember Terriermon's words of wisdom: Moumantai! Makino just likes to inject fear into those that she feels threaten her safety. It's all just a defense mechanism. Nobody's going to hell."

"I don't get it, Ryo," Hirokazu said tiredly. "I didn't even do anything to her or say anything insulting and she just blows up like that. She doesn't view me as anything more than someone out to get her…"

"She likes you," Ryo assured. "Like I said, her defense is on High Alert today. She thinks we're going to try and make this out to be like a date, after all. She doesn't trust us."

Kenta looked a little confused. "I thought you guys _were_ going to try and make it out like a date."

"Ah…"

Ryo smirked and slung his arm around Hirokazu. "Well, it certainly **can** be a date if Ruki wishes it so!"

"Totally," Hirokazu agreed sheepishly. He smiled slightly. "That's why we have to get her in a good mood, right?"

"Exactly," Ryo agreed. "Though I'm not sure what exactly you're supposed to do to _get_ on Ruki's good side. Normally, to make a girl happy, you'd win presents for her, but I'm not sure if Ruki's that kind of person. I'll just have to find out when we get there."

"I'm sure you will," Hirokazu said in his supporting manner, but all the while felt a little sullen that Ryo's forgotten all about his competition.

"Well, just don't get killed, you two," Kenta warned. "I still don't trust her not to lose her temper. And I sure wouldn't invest any time projecting anything beyond that platonic barrier to her, either." Feeling stuffy, he stretched out his gray kimono out a tad. "Love can be a really misguiding, misleading thing to your doom; I learned that the hard way."

"I said I was sorry!" Hirokazu insisted. "How was I to know love could change its ways on its own like that? You shouldn't let one lousy breakup cloud your judgment on the whole thing in general, Kenta. Plenty of fish out there in the sea, right Ryo?"

"You could say that, yeah," Ryo grinned. "But you can't say people like Ruki come a dime a dozen."

"Hell no…"

"Maybe you should try being the dumpee for once," Kenta muttered to himself.

"Ruki's kimono looks really nice…"

"Where do you think she got it from, Ryo?"

"Wouldn't be surprised if she made it herself…"

"Ah," Hirokazu sighed. "She would, if she's so multi-talented."

"We still need to get her to sing," Ryo reminded. "She was being stingy about that for her birthday."

"One step at a time there, Ryo!" Hirokazu urged. "She may be wonderful, but she's still a walking atomic bomb if you really tick her off!"

"That she is," Ryo concurred. "That's what makes her exciting."

"Yeah," Hirokazu's grin was growing wider by the minute. "I just can't wait to do things with her…"

Kenta sweatdropped, suddenly finding himself kicked out of the conversation. "Um, could we _not_ talk about Ruki for like, two seconds, maybe?"

"What's your plan, 'Kazu?"

"I totally have no idea…"

"That's not a good way to go about her, you know," Ryo informed. "You're heading into her like you would a Digimon battle, and that's a pretty horrible correlation once you think about it."

"I know," said Hirokazu. "But I never did like making plans. Wasn't my field… too much thinking involved."

"Guess it's up to me, then…"

Hirokazu smirked. "Hey, don't count me out yet."

Kenta just stared for a few more moments and sighed. He'd become completely invisible to his own friends. Once again. Cautiously, he walked a little faster, to keep pace with the girls just ahead, and made absolute sure to walk over to Juri's side; not Ruki's.

"Mind if I crash with you two the rest of the way?" Kenta mumbled miserably. "You guys won't at least forget I exist."

"It's horrible that they'd leave you out like that," Juri sympathized. "Sure, you can walk with us. Right, Ruki?"

Ruki frowned momentarily, and then shrugged. "He's not after me. So I don't care."

Kenta just rolled his eyes. "Thanks."

* * *

( POV – Takato )

* * *

I guess the others really _were_ walking the rest of the way. Oh well. I'm sure they're not enjoying their time any more than Jen and I. Heh; he was kind enough to run off and get cotton candy for the three of us while we waited. And cotton candy was _good_, considering I've been spending all year living off cookies and cake. Such thick, heavy desserts they were… some empty calories would be nice for a change.

"So, you left Guilmon behind, huh?" Jenrya said as he sat on a bench with me. "Terriermon and I weren't expecting him to be here, anyway."

"He'd definitely wreck the place," Terriermon commented. "You did a wise and noble thing."

I just nodded in agreement. "You think anyone else will bring their Digimon? I kind of promised Guilmon he'd have some buddies to play with while I was gone for the day."

"You're kidding, right?" Terriermon smiled. "Culumon will be around, but… heck, I can't imagine any other Digimon that could conceivably get away with _coming_ here, save for MarineAngemon."

"I don't think Kenta was set on taking him," Jenrya recalled. "And if Impmon came here, this place would be burnt to ashes before the night would be over, so he couldn't be going."

I counted on my fingers, all of Guilmon's possible playmates. …Seemed like there'd be more than enough to keep him busy all day. "Good point. Thanks, guys. I don't feel so bad about it now."

"That's what I was aiming for," Jenrya told me, smiling. "Now, if everyone would just hurry up and get here…"

"Moumantai," Terriermon chimed. "I think I see 'em right now!"

I peered off into the distance, and sure enough, I saw Ruki, Juri, Kenta, Hirokazu, and Ryo, all in a group together, approaching our way, and quickly. It appeared that they spotted us, too. When they were close enough to clearly see, I could tell by the face expressions that Kenta just wanted to be in and out of here as quickly as he could. Ruki didn't seem happy to be here _at all_. But she did have a pretty, navy kimono on.

"I like your kimono, Ruki," I said when they finally reached us. I was trying to sound as innocent as I could.

Ruki just looked away, folded her arms, and walked past me. "Nobody likes a kiss-ass, Matsuda."

… Okay. My ritual of going out of my way to appease Ruki ended right then and there. She's pissed… REALLY pissed.

Hirokazu and Ryo looked reasonably excited enough. Ready to jump out of their kimonos, it almost seemed like. And that scared me. Hirokazu can get **really** hyper when he's that excited.

Thus explains that situation when he _annihilated my room_… Grr. Can't think about that now. The last person in the group was coming up to me.

Juri looked… wow. I can't really describe how she looked, but… ah… sweaty palms… burning face…

"Hi, Takato!"

I felt like I just melted. I slumped over, suddenly out of energy, but I could still stand up. It was a wasted effort; trying to get my eyes off Juri and that wonderful kimono she was wearing. G-God…! How am I going to prevent myself from acting like this all night?!

"Hiya," I slurred out with a happy sigh. I could barely tell, but Jenrya was looking down on me, sweatdropping.

"Good afternoon, Juri," he greeted her, in a _much_ more gentlemanly fashion than me. Argh… please don't steal my thunder, Jenrya…

"The same to you," Juri said back. She bowed to Jenrya… and I guess to me, too. But how was I to tell? I was still in a dazed state, struck by Juri's gorgeous… everything!

"Are we done with our dumb greetings?" Hirokazu asked impatiently. "Greetings take up time! Come on, let's go!"

I straightened up, Hirokazu's voice bringing me back down from space, finally. "He's right; let's all go and do what we planned to do! This is what we've been waiting for!"

"Freedom from our parents for one night," Jenrya said longingly.

"Unsupervised and uncensored!" Ryo exclaimed.

All together, we set foot inside. The booths, the games, the rides, the events… all waiting for us to enrich our lives and create lasting memories.

All waiting for us to make individual chapters of our next story.

* * *

( TBC ) 


	5. Festivals and Fears

**( Notes: **

**Here is the biggest chapter to date! The festival, the fun, and the follies! This one pretty much seals the deal of both love triangles working in more ways than one. Again, much of the work done here for Version 2.0 is many rewordings, sentence additions and subtractions, re-interpretations... and I also completely deleted the Ondo scene (that pretty much mocked the second ending sequence to _Ojamajo Doremi Dokkaan!_) since it really wasn't adding anything to the story. That's about I've got to say for this chapter! Have fun with it! )**

* * *

( POV – Takato )

* * *

Before the festival had even started, I had the sinking feeling that this giant group of ours wouldn't stay whole for long. It's kind of messy to maintain seven people all together, you know. Then you factor in Hirokazu getting into the caffeinated drinks _really_ early this time, hence it wasn't long at all before he was rotating around the rest of us, constantly bouncing, and talking so fast that none of us would be able to tell what he was saying to save our lives. And, well, much as I still can't connect with Ruki to save my life, I could tell the only thing that would annoy her more than Hirokazu himself is Hirokazu when he's under the influence of sugar and a copious source of energy. 

So, yeah... she was the first to split from the group. About two minutes after she was out of sight, Hirokazu and Ryo went their separate ways… I can only guess they wanted to follow her while she's away from the safety of the group. Juri and Kenta obviously didn't want to get involved, so they remained with Jenrya and me.

But y'know… I didn't really mind the group being like this. We had essentially gotten rid of all our aggressive people, so what could go wrong now? All that was left to do was to view the sights and do the things we intended to do.

"Could they possibly Americanize these things any _more_?" Kenta complained, completely out of nowhere. But he was right. Some of the things here were definitely **not** Japanese traditional.

"I think we're supposed to deal with it," Jenrya mused. "The U.S. _is_ the corporate powerhouse of the world. Not to mention an indispensable business partner of ours. You can only expect some kind of American influence in our lifestyles."

"That's right," Juri agreed. "You might not think so, Kenta, but we've got a big influence in lifestyles of the Americans, too. I think all kinds of kids over there are trying to be like us."

I had to somehow prove I was just as knowledgeable on this cultural topic as Jenrya was. Male hormones or not, something inside me triggered a signal that told me to be a part of this conversation actively. "It's because of the anime we produce, isn't it?"

Jenrya smiled and nodded. "They buy some translation rights to certain anime we make and they dub it to their language and let the kids watch it, and it's proven to be very profitable."

I just smiled along with him; oh yeah, I _knew_ what I was talking about.

"They say American animation is kind of inferior to ours," Juri explained, tossing her hair back. "Which is a little ironic, seeing as they created the whole animation concept back in the early 20th century."

"But I guess old classics are just as marketable as our own stuff," Jenrya assumed. "We've brought over some American animation and dubbed it and aired it here. But I'm sure it doesn't fare as well as the anime."

I was beginning to lose my flame of glory here… **I** know this stuff too, Jen!

"Definitely not," Juri concurred.

"Don't they call their animation something else in America?" I asked just then. "Ca… Cat—"

"_Cartoons_," Kenta corrected. And now I felt really stupid.

"Yeah, thanks," I mumbled back, slumping. My urge to feel dominant in a conversation had died.

"So… _what_ does anime have to do with the fact that we've got like, half of a Japanese traditional festival, and half of an American carnival?" Kenta asked, sounding annoyed, as usual. You'd think as independent as he is now, from Hirokazu and all, he wouldn't even come here if he didn't want to… sheesh.

"There are just some things better left unanswered," is all what Jenrya said.

Juri gave Kenta a reassuring smile. …Hey, where's **my** reassuring smile? "Don't worry. I'm sure the American-themed games are just as fun!"

"I'm sure we'll understand them," Jenrya said, in a purely positive tone. "Maybe the organizers of the festival just decided to focus this one on American culture or something. It broadens our own culture or something like that."

It suddenly hit me that Jenrya was in a _much_ better mood than what he's usually in. Not to say he's on par with Ruki, but Jen always seemed to be serious about things… just… someone not adjusted to having fun. Even when he was in a good mood, he was always so quiet and calculating… like he was too old to be having fun at all. Kind of like he didn't… belong… with us. Considering the fact that he just went through a tight situation between his brother and sister just makes this all the more unusual. Not to say he immediately recovered from this after it was over… it was when everyone else came and when Juri arrived—

_**WHAT THE HELL!**____** I DID IT AGAIN!**_

Do I have to smash my head through a ton of cement or something? Does it take **that much** for me to get the point? Jen is NOT after the object of my affections! He's not, he's not, he's _NOT_! He even TOLD me that! And he wouldn't lie to me! Would he…?

"ARGH!"

Everyone stopped walking and turned their attention to me. …By this point, I could feel my cheeks burning. And I suddenly wanted to be alone. Not here.

"Uh, Takato? What's up?" Jenrya asked, breaking the awkward silence in which I had taken the time to notice that other people in the **background** were looking at me. Good god. I wanted to shrivel up and die.

Kenta adjusted his glasses. "What's your problem?" He sounded impatient and irritated as ever.

Meanwhile… I couldn't seem to make myself talk properly; only make weak attempts to.

Juri leaned over and touched my shoulder. "You can tell us, Takato," she said quietly. Quiet enough to make the tone of her voice seem suggestive to me. And thusly make me blush more.

I probably looked like I was going to explode.

Jenrya put his hand on my other shoulder. "Do you need to sit down?" …He seemed really concerned… was I really taking this too far?

Jen's touch was enough to make me cough and find my voice again. I sputtered a bit and hunched over. I was hoping by now the outside attention had disappeared.

"Nothing's wrong, nothing at all," I said very quickly and lightly. "Um… my… stomach hurts. B-but, it was just a brief cramp. I feel fine now, seriously."

"Are you sure?" Juri looked straight down at me. "You could be sick… it's not too early in the fall to catch the flu."

Totally unannounced, Jenrya pressed the back of his hand against my forehead. It was just for a moment, though. He withdrew it… his semi-lighthearted expressions had given way to his natural thoughtful one. "He's not burning up, but his face is red," He reported.

"It isn't the flu," I assured. Even though I was feeling miserable and embarrassed beyond anything, I couldn't help but appreciate all this overwhelming concern my two very close friends were giving me… I could definitely count on them in the event that something actually was wrong with me.

"Maybe we should take a break and let you recover, just to be sure," Juri suggested. "We have plenty of time to have fun."

"Yeah, we won't forgive you if you make us leave early just because of your timely ways of getting sick," Kenta warned. But I thought he **wanted** to leave… geh… nevermind. I was past the point of caring about Kenta's attitude problem.

I straightened out, attempting to look as healthy, normal, and un-embarrassed as I could. "Don't make me say it again, guys!" I said in a loud, exasperating manner. "I'm okay! I'm nowhere near sick!"

This made Jenrya and Juri back off a little bit away from me. Then I felt bad again. Don't know why; must be conscience. "… Let's just go on and do something, alright?"

"I second that," Kenta promptly commented, raising a hand. "MarineAngemon wants a new friend, and we're just ahead of the stand where you catch the fish, so I'd like to get that out of the way first."

"Sounds like a good idea," I was ready to move on past this. "Don't worry so much, you two. It's not like I'm dying or anything."

Juri and Jen looked to each other with some concern… then just warily nodded, and looked back to me and Kenta.

"Sure, let's go," Jenrya concluded, putting his smile back on for us. Thanks, Jen.

* * *

( POV – Ruki )

* * *

I should've guessed those dorks would follow me. I wouldn't expect any better of the Rooster Heads. 

However, this was the big… festival… outing… thing. I narrowed my eyes, because I just remembered my defenses were up fully for this night, and I was in no mood for a cat-and-mouse, especially not this early in the game.

Shaking off Hirokazu would be pretty easy. All I needed was… a really fast ride from this semi-American hellhole. Knowing 'Kazu, he'll jump at the opportunity to ride it and try to impress me with his so-called 'endurance'… only to fall short to the challenge. That's how he was in the Digital World, and that's how he is in the real world: a lot of gusto and no common sense to regulate it. It's a wonder why he didn't end up kicking it during our last adventure other than Leomon.

But I shouldn't even joke about that mentally, should I? I might jinx him, for all I know…

_Hello_… what was this I came across? I looked up, and on the horizon was some odd ride I was not familiar with. …SO very American, it looked. It appeared to be made American-type cheap, too. It was just a stick with a spherical riders' capsule on each end of that stick. Sure, granted, the thing looked intimidating because the actual size of the ride was about 70 feet tall from my estimates. But given such a limited design…what was it supposed to _do_, exactly?

Guess it was my cue to sit there and wait. For just two passengers at a time… the line up ahead was progressing very suckily. As two new passengers were loaded into the seats, my eyes wandered through the crowds, trying to pinpoint where my Rooster-Headed admirers were hiding.

Of course, with their stupid-looking hair, it wasn't very hard to pick them apart from the people with sane hairstyles. Hirokazu was seemingly waiting in line for some inane kiddy right that happened to be right next to the one I was at. He was keeping his eyes on me constantly, so he kept walking into people like the dummy he was. I don't think he even noticed I was looking at him! He really is an idiot, even more of a Goggle-head than Takato. And he doesn't even wear goggles. How sad is that?

I looked to the other side of me, seeing a stand for stir-fry. A slew of people had covered the perimeter… or at least the front of it. Ryo was well hidden in there, I admit, but his retarded hair sticking out completely gave him away, just like 'Kazu. He was also keeping an eye on me without taking a moment to look elsewhere.

Their general inferiority, as well as the fact that BOTH of them were breaking their promise was annoying the hell out of me. I gave Ryo a very sharp glare, which made him realize I knew where he was. Upon this enlightenment, he just scratched his head and chuckled a bit half-heartedly. Without changing any expressions after that, he made his way out of the noodle-crazed crowd and walked over to me, sweatdropping like an utter, found-out fool. How fitting.

"I'd like to tell you 'Nice try', Ryo," I told him, looking away. "But that would make you feel good for what you're doing, wouldn't it? So I'm just going to say this: **don't make empty promises, dumbshit**."

Ryo just laughed a little bit. Yeah, I bet he probably found that funny. Apparently a lot of people find me funny when I'm pissed off. This might be a sign for me to stop being merciful and to just go ahead and bite their heads off. Then they'll know I mean business, right?

"I haven't a clue of what you mean!" He said light-heartedly.

"Yeah, whatever," I grumbled, refusing to argue with him until I rounded up Stooge #2. "Fun's over, 'Kazu! Get over here and stop being a coward!"

It wasn't long before Hirokazu was obediently at my other side, also looking horrified that I somehow knew he was hiding out all along.

"It isn't what you think!" He insisted, right as I was about to say something. "Honest!"

"Don't interrupt me!" I snapped, looming over my very reluctant acquaintance. "It was _so _what I thought; you're so full of CRAP!"

Hirokazu shrunk back a bit, making me happy at least in knowing he knew he was tampering with forces he dared not provoke too much. "…I wasn't interrupting you," he mumbled.

"Yes you were," I argued back. "Now be quiet!"

"Ruki," Ryo, following suit, butted into the conversation before he was spoken to. "He wasn't interrupting you."

"Don't speak out of turn," I growled, pointing at Ryo. "I didn't ask for your opinion!"

"Just saying," Ryo said, still remotely calm.

"Don't _say_," I clarified. "Apologize. If I recall correctly, you both made promises over the phone that you wouldn't treat this like a date. Am I right?"

"One hundred percent," Ryo agreed. Hirokazu nodded along with him, balling his hands up into fists.

"So we agree that we've come to this festival together as friends among friends. That was the deal, wasn't it?"

"You bet," Hirokazu said in his wannabe-confident tone.

My eyes narrowed. "Do friends obsessively spy on each other when one friend wants to be alone?"

"_Best_ friends might," Ryo said with a grin. A grin I wanted to destroy via fist-to-mouth.

"If they're really concerned!" Hirokazu added. He is SUCH a Ryo-asskisser, even when he's hitting on me to compete with him.

"Don't give me your lies," I ordered; the urge to hurdle them both into space was very overpowering at this point. "You both know you're going over the borderline of friendship and you don't care at all!"

"No need to dwell on it," Ryo explained. "I can admit I made a mistake. How about you, 'Kazu?"

Hirokazu just looked up at Ryo with his eyes wide and shiny. Eww… you know, if Ryo just realized how obsessed **'Kazu** was over him, you'd think he'd just get a clue, and those two would get hitched, and live happily ever after on some mountain range far, far away from me. I wouldn't mind, personally. That kind of thing doesn't bother me. After dealing with so many boys in my time that seem so much more interested in each other than me, I halfway expect it to end up just that way someday.

Ryo just grinned at the scene. "Yeah, well… it's past us now!"

"Like hell it is," I shot back quietly, moving ahead in the line.

"You want to go on _that_ ride?" Hirokazu inquired, following me. "It looks a little boring."

I decided that moving away from the subject for a while might be a little easier on me. "Have you actually seen it in action yet?"

"Can't say I have," Hirokazu replied, scratching the back of his head. "But it looks cheap to me. It's so…"

"American?" I finished.

Hirokazu nodded. "Pretty much."

"Looks _can_ be deceiving," Ryo added, walking over to where we were. "So don't judge a book by its cover. Not yet, anyway."

"Don't preach to me, Rooster Boy," I grumbled. Not only was Akiyama a big stupid flirt, he **also** had to be the annoying Nanny of the Tamers, didn't he? "Cheap things like this can't be deceiving. Not when it looks like it's going to fall into pieces if it gets used again."

"Maybe it's meant to look shoddy," Ryo countered with a nonchalant shrug.

"You make it sound unsafe to ride on," Hirokazu noted with a cringe. "And you haven't even been on it."

I gave 'Kazu a look. "Does that scare you, Hirokazu? Just because I think the ride's going to bust and I have no grounds whatsoever to prove that on? Just the sheer thought of the possibility makes you chicken out?"

Hirokazu automatically frowned. "Hell no! I'm not scared of a creaky, freaky American ride!"

I stepped away slightly, smirking. "If you mean that, I want you to ride it. Just so I can see how not-scared you really are."

"You're on," he shot back, coming off as an extremely cocky asshole, as always. "I can take any dumb carnival ride."

Ryo looked to me, in a strange gesture. "Weren't you going to ride on it?"

I simply folded my arms. "You seem way more in love with that ride than I am, Ryo. Take your own advice. Don't chicken out, and you go on the ride."

"I will, then, by no doubt," Ryo assured. "But you still didn't answer my question."

That just made my blood boil. How **dare** he be impatient with my way of addressing issues! Just because he's SO interested in what I'm going to do! Is it really any of his business what I ride and don't ride?

"I'll go," I responded calmly. "But I want you and 'Kazu to go before me. Just so I can make sure you don't run off. Plus I want to see the looks on your faces after you get off that ride."

"And you won't run off while we're on it?" Hirokazu asked.

"Why would I?" I asked in a rhetorical manner. "And miss the two of you getting tortured?"

"You… want us to go together?" Ryo seemed a little uneasy. For what reason I wasn't sure of.

"That's how I want it," I said with a nod. "You two Rooster Heads riding it together. Besides, it'll be quicker that way, don't you think?"

"Makes sense," Ryo admitted with a grin that was entirely false; really… why would he have a problem with this? "Well, I guess we could."

Almost on cue, Hirokazu moved in closer to Ryo. "I can't say I mind that plan! You'd make any lame ride seem like a blast, Ryo!"

Ryo chuckled a bit. "I guess I am the life of a party, huh?"

Oh, I just wanted them both to jump off a bridge… without a bungee cord.

"Don't get your hopes up, 'Kazu," I pointed out. "It's not like you'll be riding next to him or anything."

Hirokazu paused for a moment, then frowned. "Damn, I hate it when you're right."

"You'll get plenty of other chances," I assured, sounding annoyed, but I wasn't really. Hey, more power to him if he'd rather hang over Ryo than me. Just seeing Hirokazu overly happy in general just… irks me.

"Yeah, the night's still young," Ryo noted. "We have plenty of time."

"… It's not even _night_ yet," I remarked, looking up at the sky, where indeed, the sun hadn't even set over the hills.

"Whatever," Hirokazu said in his throw-offish manner. He turned his view to the front of the line. "I'm ready to take on this challenge whenever you are, Ryo. Just say the word, wait for our turn, and I am **all over** this ride."

"I'm sure we're all ready for it," Ryo concurred, smirking. He also turned his attention to the line of people standing in front of him. "All that's required of us now is a little patience."

After this exhausting situation, all I could throw in was an unenthusiastic "Whoopee."

Just a few minutes later, Hirokazu was looking ahead to where the line first began, then to the end, then to the stands to the side of us.

"… You think one of us could go and make a stir-fry run for the three of us?"

Sigh.

* * *

( POV – Takato )

* * *

I was right, of course. Things were much more peaceful and enjoyable with the lacking presence of Hirokazu, Ryo, and Ruki. … But maybe it was… _too_ peaceful. _Too_ enjoyable. _Too _perfect. Well, save for the Kenta-Complaining factor, but it didn't seem to long before even he was softening up after having enough fun with the rest of us; his complaining was dwindling away until it was just a rare occurrence for humor purposes. Hard to believe Kenta would have a sense of humor. Then again, after hanging out with 'Kazu for so long, I guess you wouldn't be able to help it eventually. 

Oh well. He caught more fish than Jenrya, Juri, or myself, anyway. We seemed to go on rides sparingly throughout our evening. I don't know why, some rides we've ridden since we were little just didn't have that… _fun_ spark in them anymore. Plus, everything had a long line of kids you had to wait for before going on them… not really the way you should be spending these special events. We'd be better off going back in time in that respect. We had our fair share of buying things, though. Since we were growing up, I think this is how preteens and teenagers really spent their festival time, anyway; either buying things for their girl/boyfriends or winning prizes for them at the little games in the stands.

Of course, since no one amongst our group was going out on an actual date, this was a little awkward. At least it was for me. Juri was really into the shopping. Jenrya seemed to be comfortable with it, and Kenta had a blast winning prizes solely for himself.

Who knows? I guess it's good to be a little self-centered after suffering a breakup.

Then there was me. I sucked at the games… and I really would've liked to win something for Juri, but every time I tried, I crashed and failed. And then in my place, Jenrya or Kenta would win, but at least they didn't hand over their prizes to Juri. This made me feel a little better, further proving that my thoughts of having competition for Juri's affections were only mere paranoia.

"Whoa, these are _huge_," Kenta gasped as he grabbed hold of a giant lollipop from a rack… and no, I'm not kidding. This sucker was ENORMOUS; about the circumference of Kenta's head. "How do you suppose one would possibly eat something like this?"

"Ah, I'd say you could pull it off in a couple of months," Jenrya assumed. "Of course, then you'd wind up with loads of cavities."

"Or a real stomach ache if you tried eating it in under a month," Kenta added, uneasily sticking the lollipop back in its original place.

"You should get it, Kenta," I urged with a grin. "And dare 'Kazu to eat it."

Kenta sneered at the thought. "I ought to. He'd do it, for sure."

"Something tells me he wouldn't get a stomach ache from doing it," Juri said, concerned. "Hirokazu seems to be immune to sugar and caffeine overdoses. I think he'd just be more insane than he usually is on a sugar high."

"If you put it that way," Jenrya reconsidered, sounding unsure. "That does seem to be tampering with forces we have no business messing with."

"Just like hitting a beehive with a stick," Kenta added. "Or invoking the wrath of Ruki."

Juri rolled her eyes. "Kenta, Ruki isn't evil. It's all in your head. She's just very over-protective of her well-being."

"I still think she wants to castrate us, deep down," Kenta mumbled. "That'd be the most effective way to protect her so-called 'well-being'."

"After all we've been through, that may be a little extreme, even for her," Jenrya corrected. "Who knows, maybe she's fantasized it. If Hirokazu and Ryo have been stalking her, I could see where she'd get the idea. The fact that I got a really bad fortune ten minutes ago might be a sign, too…"

A Ruki debate? Not interested. I came here to have fun, not fear for my life. Especially when she's right here at the festival with us. Well, not literally, but if she wanted to find us and castrate us, she _could_. … Argh. Don't want to think about it. I decided I'd just look at the candy for a while. Because candy brings happy thoughts, yes it does.

"You haven't tied that up yet?" Juri said with a small laugh. "Jen, you'll free yourself of that evil fortune reading if you just tie it to a tree."

"Do you _see_ any trees around here?" Jenrya countered lightheartedly. "I'll get to it when we pass by some."

Juri didn't give a verbal response; she just laughed.

I think getting Juri something like a giant lollipop wouldn't be a good idea. One, there's no way she'd eat it because of the reasons we mentioned; two, I always hear girls are sensitive about their diet and their weight and stuff. I don't want Juri thinking that I think she's fat or anything. Or that she's too skinny and I want her to fatten up…

But I decided that I wanted to get her something before this night was over. It may have been decided that this is just a friendly outing, and it was supposed to end that way, but I was tired of letting opportunities pass me by like this. And I'm sure everyone wants me to stop beating around the bush anyway. What to get her for certain, that would be tricky… probably not food. Like I said, I didn't want to give off any offensive impressions. Then again, food would be one of the most modest ways of giving gifts. I mean, food is food, and it might not seem so obvious that I'm giving her a present because I like her like that if it's something that simple. Besides, isn't food connected to love in some way? That's why everyone goes out on romantic dinners and stuff, right?

"Takato," It was Kenta. "You've been staring at that candy for a while now. Buy it or don't buy it. Just hurry up! We need to move on!"

Bah. Maybe food's just the cheap way of giving your love a present. When you suck too much at games to win something for her instead! God, I feel so second-rate! It wouldn't be a wonder if she didn't like me back. Why go out with someone like me when you've got so many friends superior to you in every aspect? Yeah, it's sick, sick irony. I'm the only Goggle-Boy of a Digimon team to be an insecure wuss. I'm not an impulsive jerk or a moron, but I still have faults that are just as annoying, and just as cliché.

But I can't let that get me down, right? I mean, I may be a loser, but Juri likes me for who I am anyway. At least, I think so. Maybe I should learn to like myself a little more. Then again, I am the one who's always whining about how I can never tell Juri about my feelings directly, and I'm beginning to think I'll never really have the courage to ever do that. But really, I probably should have just listened to Hirokazu all along… as… wrong as that seems. Following _his_ advice? Sheesh. You just have to be open about your feelings sometimes, to get what you want in life. Hiding the emotions sure isn't doing favors for anybody. If anything, it's delaying the inevitable.

Then again, that can be a good thing if the outcome of my confession turns out to be horrible and heartbreaking, which I can never be sure of until it happens. Sometimes I want to keep a friendship for as long as humanly possible before I jeopardize it with my stupid hormones. Although, the longer I keep it, the more it'll hurt when the confession comes out. So she'd just hate me more…

Argh. Maybe I should just get Juri something that screams 'We're Friends Forever! BFFs! YAY!' That way she'd never misinterpret it, and she'd have to love it. No one can hate a token of glorifying friendship, especially a close one. Now there's just a matter if determining what would possibly pass for a friendship gift, and what reeks of an underlying gift for a hidden crush. Maybe Jenrya and Kenta would know. I mean, especially Kenta. He's even gone through this before, I bet!

"Hey, Kenta…" I turned around to face my friends, only to come upon a horrifying realization.

My friends were _gone_... and nowhere in sight.

* * *

( POV – Nobody )

* * *

Ruki just looked down and shook her head. "Guess I did underestimate that ride a bit. I was just watching, and even doing _that_ seemed painful. I suppose I owe you guys an apology." 

Ryo and Hirokazu were reduced to nothing but worthless bodies on the ground, on the verge of losing the stir-fry they had consumed before the ride.

"No need for it," Ryo assured, wincing. "We accepted the dare, so we brought it on ourselves."

Hirokazu moaned. "I just wouldn't wish this kind of torture on anyone. Nobody at all! Ruki, I'm not sure if you should even ride it."

"It didn't even look fun," Ruki commented. "It was just a stick that kept making vertical spins, and that was it."

"That's what the ride's all about," Ryo said with a prolonged sigh. "All you do is sit in a capsule with no openings whatsoever, going through endless loop-de-loops, and since you're sitting at a vertical angle and your safety belt is _really_ loose…"

"… You end up falling from your seat and your head crashes onto the ceiling when you're upside down," Hirokazu finished, looking even more pained as he recalled it.

"Ouch," Ruki said with mock-pain. "Even more brain damage unleashed on poor 'Kazu."

"Don't joke about it," Hirokazu pouted. "It wasn't even fun and I still wanna throw up. This totally sucks."

Ryo smoothened out his hair. "Totally. Don't ride it, Ruki. It's not worth proving your bravery. You're better off waiting until we hit a roller coaster or something…"

"Yeah," Ruki muttered. "Well, I guess I can commend you both for your willingness to put up with that trashy ride, since it was all fuss and no fun."

"Tell me about it," Hirokazu growled, following Ryo's actions, started fixing his mangled hair as well. "I spent a good three hours perfecting this and it's all ruined now!"

Ryo also looked irritated, which was a rarity for anyone to see, since Ryo was known so well for always playing it cool under any circumstance. "If I had known this would happen, I would've brought extra gel."

Ruki rolled her eyes. "You Roosters and your gel. Well, come on. Let's find something worthy of our riding."

"Hold up, hold up," Hirokazu urged, trying to stand up. "My stomach's still feeling a little sensitive. I don't wanna move too much too early. I still stand the risk of losing it."

Ryo also rose, able to fully stand sooner than his obsessive friend. "Yeah, I'd like to take a little break before we go off into more intense rides. Just to be safe. I'd hate to leave early." After that, Ryo gave one of his famous suggestive smiles.

Ruki gave her natural look of response: Unimpressed. "I suppose I owe you that much. Go ahead, sit down and calm your stomachs." She looked down to her wrist at her watch, just to check the current time. She blinked, and looked surprised… all of a sudden, she just remembered a plan of hers she was participating in for the festival a few days ago.

"What time is it?" Hirokazu asked as he and Ryo sat down on a bench.

"Er… it's early," Ruki assured the boys. "But I just remembered there was something I needed to do."

"You mean here?" Ryo asked, obviously clueless at what Ruki was getting at.

"Yeah," Ruki said hastily, grabbing her bagged belongings and already motioning to leave. "I need to meet someone."

"Someone?" Hirokazu echoed, not pleased.

"About setting up a game, you doofus," Ruki clarified with a glare. "I made a promise a few days ago, so I need to be there to help. Okay? You guys can live without me for a little while, right?"

Ryo smiled and gave her a peace sign. "Without a problem."

"We'll be okay!" Hirokazu said with a smile. "Hey, our stomachs are rebelling against us anyway, it's not like we'll be going anywhere anytime soon."

Ruki just stared at them hard, trying to make sure these two were being honest with her. After she realized they were both still genuinely run-down, she sighed and gave them the nod of approval. "Then don't follow me. And for the love of god, don't eat anything, either."

With that, she was off. Fortunately at the right time, as her mention of food brought the forces of regurgitation back upon Hirokazu and Ryo with a powerful vengeance. They couldn't say their goodbyes, therefore leaned over the sides of the benches and let the backlash of the ride overcome them in the grossest way possible.

* * *

( POV – Nobody )

* * *

"Huh… maybe if I wasn't so hard on Jen, he would've taken that Ruki girl along." 

Jaarin sighed, sitting in a seat, hidden in a secluded corner of the booth she was working in. Her day was far from over, and already the job was taking a toll on her physically. Setting up stacks of cans over and over again wasn't as fun as she had originally thought it to be.

"Ruki?" a girl Jaarin's age had listened in. She was just working at the booth next door to Jaarin's. Apparently, she was also taking a little break. "Who's that? A new transfer the rest of us haven't met yet?"

Jaarin smiled, though clearly her smile made it all the more apparent how tired she was. "She's not our age, Yariko. Ruki's more around Jenrya's age."

Yariko raised an eyebrow. "Isn't that kind of young for you, then?"

"She's more of Jenrya's friend than mine," Jaarin insisted. "Even though Jen doesn't seem to care for her very much. But we had a plan for something we'd do together today, so I'm kind of hoping she's here…"

Jaarin's friend still wasn't satisfied with the information. "Do something? You're supposed to stay here most of the night, Jaarin."

"I'm not leaving!" Jaarin promised. "You don't need to worry about that. All we're going to do is pull a little prank on my obnoxious brother. I'm not going anywhere."

"Really," Yariko seemed a little amused. "Wait, which one was the obnoxious one again?"

"Rinchei's the blowhard," Jaarin reviewed. "So Jenrya is the obnoxious one. The one who's trying to grow up too fast, you know."

"Right, right," Yariko nodded, now remembering. "So you're playing a prank? I thought Jenrya was sensitive about practical jokes, Jaarin. Did he really do something bad enough to merit for that kind of treatment?"

Jaarin nodded. "Yeah, the creep completely violated my privacy by "borrowing" a chunk of my savings to buy another stupid computer accessory the other week ago. He said he'd pay me back and figured I wouldn't mind if he didn't ask right away, but of course, he still hasn't reimbursed me. To make matters worse, he spilled coffee on my favorite dress and ruined it! He didn't even sound that sorry about it! And today, he was trying to be a smartass to Rinchei just before we got here. Everyone in that family tends to get on my nerves at least once a week. I figure now's a good time as any to cash in on a little fun, harmless revenge. Besides, it might even end out positively for Jen either way." She smiled. "Depending on how things go. He really should be thanking me."

"What's the plan, exactly?" Yariko asked. "I mean, since I'm going to be witnessing this from where I'm at, anyway."

Jaarin just winked and shook her index finger. "I'll tell you when Ruki arrives. I don't want to leave her out on the details. I just hope she gets here before Jenrya does…"

"Jenrya Lee? Beating _me_ to the stand? Me? What a joke."

Noting the presence of the new voice, Jaarin and Yariko turned to the front and found Ruki Makino standing before them.

"Thank goodness," Jaarin said quietly, very relieved. "I almost thought you changed your mind on coming."

Ruki sweatdropped. "Not possible; too many of my other friends invited me. A decline to come along might've broken their hearts. You know how friends are."

"At least you're here, that's what matters."

"Yeah," Ruki set her bags on the ground, and bent down to dig into one. "I assume you have the glue gun warmed up already?"

"Maximum heat," Jaarin confirmed. "Just waiting to melt some glue sticks, now."

"Here you go," Ruki offered, standing up straight. "I think I got more than enough from Grandma's crafts drawer. But I'm afraid I haven't been keeping an eye on Jenrya at all."

Yariko just stared blankly ahead at the scene going on in front of her. "Wait… what is this?"

"Oh, sorry, how rude of me," Jaarin apologized, laughing. "Ruki, this is my friend from school, Yariko Kisaragi. Yariko, Ruki Makino."

Ruki looked over to Jaarin's friend briefly, not looking too terribly interested. "Oh. Um, a pleasure to meet you."

"The same to you," Yariko looked back to Jaarin. "So tell me, what does hot glue have to do with this prank you're planning?"

Ruki started chuckling evilly to herself as Jaarin started to explain. "When I see Jenrya, I'm going to invite him over for a game. I'll pit him against one of his friends. A fun little competition, it'll be. His opponent will be knocking over the cans on this stand," Jaarin pointed it out, with the cans already neatly stacked. "While Jenrya will be aiming for this one," She gestured to the stand to her other side, which was remotely bare.

"Where are the cans?" Yariko asked. "I don't even remember you using more than one stand for this earlier."

"This one's made specially to be rigged," Jaarin answered, winking.

"That's where the hot glue comes in," Ruki added, still snickering.

Yariko seemed to be getting the picture now. "_Ohh_… so you can…"

"Tada!" Jaarin, out of nowhere, lifted up a new stack from the ground. Though she only held it on one side with one hand, the stack remained whole. "The invincible stack! The glue dries fast enough, so it won't come apart no matter how hard you nail it!"

"You're gluing the bottoms too, right?" Yariko asked again, just to be sure.

"Correct," Jaarin nodded. "But I don't want to confuse the customers into thinking I really have two sets to knock over. I just want to cheat my brother out for a bit, not everyone else."

"So there's no way he could win." Yariko noted, as if it wasn't obvious enough.

"Pretty much," Ruki agreed. "That glue's really quick to dry, too. So she doesn't need to attach it to the stand until we see him coming. Then we just have to get him to compete on a dare, and he'll lose. He'll have to consent to our will. He has to do anything we ask him of." This particular thought made Ruki smirk; the sweet satisfaction of dictating a boy's fate.

Jaarin looked beyond Ruki, just to make sure for a moment that her younger brother wasn't coming her way right this moment. "So you don't really know where he is now?"

"Sorry I didn't keep up," Ruki apologized again. "I've had two Rooster Heads sidetracking me since I left the house today. I didn't have a chance to catch a break from them until now."

"Just as long as he's still here," Jaarin assured.

"Oh, he is, I know that much," said Ruki. "Just not his exact location right this moment, or when he'll be coming here…"

"So what exactly would you make him do once he inevitably loses?" Yariko inquired. "I mean, obviously something he wouldn't want to do…"

"Well, I—"

"RUKI!!"

Ruki was suddenly trapped in an overwhelming greeting hug by her best friend, Juri. In the distance, Kenta and Jenrya were approaching slowly but surely. Terriermon was perched over a shoulder of Jenrya's.

"J-…Juri," Ruki uttered, completely taken by surprise. She nodded to Jaarin quickly before giving full attention back to Juri. "Good we crossed paths… again…"

Jaarin understood the signal and immediately went to work gluing the base of her unbreakable stack. She worked as quickly as she could, slamming the stack onto the formerly empty stand just before Jenrya took the time to notice who he just came across.

"I'm glad you're okay," Juri said, sounding ecstatic. "But weren't Hirokazu and Ryo with you after you split up? Or did they actually not tag along with you?"

"Juri, _please_," Kenta murmured. "You're almost making them sound innocent and good-natured with no evil intent."

"They're around," Ruki replied, with no hint of concern in her voice whatsoever. "For the record, yes, they were following and trying to hang out with me. But last I heard of them, one of the American rides nearly made them lose their lunch. They're off resting to cope with the pain."

Kenta was amazed. "There's a ride that makes 'Kazu sick…?" He blinked, just realizing something else. "There's a ride… that makes RYO sick?"

"It's not really that great of a ride," Ruki explained. "It makes you sick. That's about all it does."

"Maybe you can warn us if we come across it," Juri said with a smile. "And maybe 'Kazu and Ryo can rejoin us when they feel better."

Jenrya was keeping quiet. But only because he had discovered Jaarin, and the last thing he wanted to happen for tonight was to come across anyone in his family, especially if it was a family member he just had an argument with. He just kept an eye on her, and Jaarin did the same; neither attempted to look happy at the other's arrival.

Somehow, Juri could sense the tension. And being the good person she was, she wanted to break that tension. She never liked her friends fighting amongst each other. "So… Jenrya's sister is working here as well!"

Jaarin looked to Juri and smiled. "I do. I'm Jaarin. And you are…?"

"Juri Katou." Juri made a respectful bow to the elder. "It's good to finally meet you."

"And you," Jaarin returned. "Jenrya doesn't seem to talk about you much. Then again, he was never popular with girls. The only girl he talks about is Ruki on occasion, and usually he just complains about her."

At that instant, Jenrya shot Jaarin a bold glare, as Juri just giggled. Ruki reflected Jenrya's same angry glare on Jenrya himself.

"Don't you have anything better to do with your life than complain about me?" Ruki asked imposingly. The tone of her voice had immediately scared anyone standing within a meter of her, forcing them to step back. "Your personality annoys me more often than not, but I don't whine about it all the time when **I** come home!"

"I refuse to participate in this conversation," Jenrya grumbled as calmly as he could. "You wouldn't know this, Ruki, being an only child and all, but siblings will do anything they can to make their other siblings miserable. They'll even make up the lamest lies ever to make their siblings look bad in front of their friends."

It was Jaarin's turn to glare. "How _dare_ you call me a liar! Every time I ask about the girls in your life, you talk about Ruki and how allegedly **crude **she is, how she's a wanton misfit from hell sent to castrate every man she sees… I have recorded tapes if you still insist on denying it!"

Jenrya was infuriated and aghast at the same time. "You _tape our conversations?_"

Ruki was also becoming enraged. "He thinks I'm a **WHAT?**"

Jaarin looked to Ruki and shrugged. "I figure, the way you two get along, you'd already know this."

"Must be losing my _touch_," Ruki snarled as she grabbed for Jenrya's kimono, in an attempt to pull him down to his knees. Jenrya, wary enough of his reluctant friend, stepped sharply away. "Get back over here, Jenrya! If you really think that, come and say it to my face!"

"I'm not going to argue with you," Jenrya repeated sternly. "And I'm not fighting you, either. I didn't come here to get into this position."

"He's right," Juri said in support. "There's another time and place for this to be taken care of. None of us came here to fight." She eyed Ruki. "Isn't that right?"

Remembering that her other friends existed, and that she herself didn't agree to this trip just to get into another daily fight, Ruki calmed down and nodded in compliance to her friend. "Right."

"Ah, they can't help being themselves," Terriermon finally cut in. "They'll know now to behave better."

Jaarin blinked at the voice, and couldn't believe that all this time she never noticed Terriermon perched on her younger brother's shoulder.

"Terriermon? What're you doing here?"

"You think I'd let Jen keep me in the house a few extra hours, alone, with _Shuichon_? Please," Terriermon muttered. "I don't take 'no' for an answer when it comes to consequences like that." Then he grinned. "But you don't need to worry, Jaarin! I'll behave!"

Jenrya sweatdropped and shrugged. "Can you argue with logic like that?"

"Probably," Jaarin replied slyly. "But I won't tell Mom if Terriermon doesn't end up burning the place down."

Jenrya's expressions softened upon hearing this, and he nodded to her. "Thanks."

"You're welcome," was Jaarin's cheerful response. "So, anyone interested in knocking some cans over?"

The crowd was quite silent.

"Come on!" Yariko urged. "It's your sister's booth, Jen! How could you refuse?"

"Easily," said Jenrya. "It looks boring, anyway."

"Then you can play a free game if you play it against someone else," Jaarin offered. "And I'll throw in a prize."

Jenrya was taken aback. "… Why do I have to play _against_ someone?"

"Because your non-competitiveness tends to get annoying after a while," Ruki cut in smugly.

"I didn't ask you!" Jenrya shot back, before he turned back to Jaarin. "So what're you offering as a prize?"

Jaarin looked around the area of her tiny booth. "Well, if you don't care for any of these stuffed animals… you can take this!" She held out a full bag, which was bigger than the size of her head. "Lots of money. You can spend it on whatever you want. You were complaining about getting a new MP3 player anyway, weren't you?"

After some thought and consideration, Jenrya sighed. "Fair enough. I'm in."

"Another condition," Jaarin added. "You have to go against…" she trailed off as she pointed a finger that moved left and right between Jenrya's friends. "Him!"

Kenta almost jumped. "_M-me?_"

"Yep. You."

"Why me?" Kenta wailed. "I haven't even said anything of relevance to this whole thing!"

"Exactly; Jenrya needs a neutral opponent," Jaarin answered. "And you're the best candidate. So step on up!" She stood up, looking more like her enthusiastic and proud self. "Jenrya, you'll take on this stack," she gestured to her specially rigged set on the left of her. "And… whoever you are, take the one on the right!"

"That would be Kenta Kitagawa," Kenta pointed out as he walked to his assigned position. "What, are you saying Jenrya never talks about me?"

Jaarin shrugged. "He talks about Takato and complains about Ruki. That's about all I know."

"Lame," Kenta whined. "It's not like we aren't good friends!"

"We've been off that subject for the last few minutes now," Jenrya reminded, fully annoyed as he walked to face his assigned stack. "Can we drop it?"

"Whatever you say," Jaarin complied as she bent down to take out a pair of balls. As she fully stood up again, she looked down at the balls, thoughtfully. Everyone just stared at her wordlessly as, unknowingly to them, she contemplated her fun little scheme.

Kenta scratched his head, not understanding what was going on. "Um, do we get the balls or not?"

Jaarin looked up slowly to her company. "Oh, sorry. I was just thinking…"

"Thinking?" Juri echoed, blinking. "About what?"

"… Just… I think I should spice up this game a little better before we start."

Jenrya raised an eyebrow, already sensing bad vibes. "… Spice up _how_?"

"Something to make the challenge more interesting," Jaarin suggested. "If that's okay with YOU, Mr. I'm-Content-With-Everything-Boring."

"I'm up for interesting twists," Kenta admitted. "If it beats the other bogus games around here."

"Kenta, that's not helping," Jenrya scolded.

Ruki scoffed. "I swear, you're afraid of everything challenging, Jenrya! I can't believe as long as I've known you as a Tamer, you're still slipping by on the fast lane by taking the **easy** way out of things. Where's your sense of adventure gone to? Hell?"

"I just don't feel like taking unnecessary risks through stupid things like this."

"Aw, what's gonna happen?" Terriermon chimed. "It's not like you're gonna _die_ or anything. It's just a game!"

"Make it more interesting for us, Jen!" Juri urged, but in a friendly way. "We want to see what you guys are made of."

Jenrya looked to Juri sadly, and sighed again. "All right… fine."

"That's the spirit!" Yariko cheered on.

"You owe it to me and Rinchei for your attitude earlier on, anyway," Jaarin smirked as she tossed the two balls around in her hands. "Okay, here's the final condition for this match."

Not amused that Jaarin brought up that situation again, Jenrya rolled his eyes. Kenta straightened his posture as much as he could bear to, as he prepared for Jaarin's ground rules.

"The consequences," Jaarin said, clarifying for extra effect. "If you lose."

Kenta already felt like turning back.

"The first one who knocks down his stack wins, obviously," Jaarin informed. "You win, and you'll get your money. But if you _lose_…"

Jenrya swallowed and glared at his sister. "Just get to the point; don't pause like this."

Jaarin smiled widely; something that sent a chill up almost everyone's spine. "If you lose, you don't get the money."

Jenrya and Kenta both sighed in relief.

"And then you have to go on the mysterious boat ride."

"The… what?" Jenrya looked around the area. "_What_ boat ride?"

"The one without the sign," said Jaarin.

Kenta squinted off in the distance, adjusting his glasses in the process. "Is _that_ what that was?"

"Kind of like our Japanese equivalent to the Tunnel of Love," said Yariko. "If you even know what **that** is."

"I can make a guess," Kenta uttered warily.

"Well, THIS ride is just a boat ride across the open lake that's close to here," Jaarin announced. "You have to ride with a girl that is randomly chosen for you."

Jenrya's face fell. "Whaaaaaat…? You mean one of us has to ride across the lake with a _total stranger?_"

"I wouldn't diss it, Jen!" Terriermon advised. "Seems like a great thing to start a romantic relationship for guys without a girlfriend!"

"Right, like I'd **really** be so shallow as to date some stranger I've only met once," Jenrya growled. "Jaarin, don't you think that's too much?"

Once again, Jaarin shrugged. "You won't have to worry about it if you win, now will you?"

Kenta flinched, already shaky in the knees. "Now I think I'm gonna be sick."

"I think this kind of consequence makes it more interesting," Juri commented. "I mean, when you really think about it, a boat ride isn't really a bad thing… just think, Jen, Jaarin could've made you be her slave for a month or something instead."

"Listen to your friend for once, little brother," advised Jaarin, complete with a smirk. "Don't you remember what it was like the last time you lost a bet to me, and you had to clean my room?"

As the memories flowed back into Jenrya's head, he twitched, showing the amount of trauma he had gone through during that wretched, wretched time.

But Jenrya felt a sudden comfort as Juri placed her hand on his shoulder, and she gave him an assuring smile.

"I'm sure it'll turn out fine, Jenrya," she whispered. "Kenta isn't backing out, see? Be a good sport and put on a show for us. If things turn out bad, I'll buy you both some cotton candy."

While the possibility of losing still tormented Jenrya's mind like the plague, he put on the best smile he could muster for his friend, and gave her the nod.

"Thanks," Juri thanked, patting him on the shoulder once before stepping back.

Jenrya looked on ahead at his challenge, determined this time to prove to his sister and Juri that he wouldn't chicken out.

"So, who do you suppose will win?" Juri asked Ruki, who was finally easing up after her tangent and taking in the amusement of all that's gone on so far.

"That's a _very_ good question," Ruki answered with a sneer. A rather grim, scary-looking sneer. "I'll definitely have to think about that one…"

"You can do it, Jen!" exclaimed Terriermon as he leaped off his partner and onto Juri, as he full well knew he'd be risking his life to jump on any part of Ruki's body.

Jaarin smiled, now holding one ball in each hand, just tossing them slightly upwards. "Ready, boys?" And like that, she tossed one ball to Kenta, and one to Jenrya. Both boys caught his respective ball, Kenta stumbling a bit after. It was apparent he was more nervous than anyone else.

"Guess it's now or never," Jenrya muttered, getting the best grip he could muster on his ball, positioning himself for the best possible throw he could muster. Funnily enough, his stance was much like a baseball pitcher. He must've seen it on TV before.

"Please god, let something _good_ occur in my unlucky life once," Kenta choked out his pray, also positioning himself for throwing. His pose was much less professional-looking than Jenrya's.

Jaarin walked over to a secluded side of her booth, just to ensure her own safety. "Have at it whenever, then."

Jenrya and Kenta placed all of their attention to the ball in their hands. Gripping it tighter and tighter, positioning their arms to the length and direction they felt was best to demolish the stack of cans. Beads of sweat formed on Kenta's face from his relentless concentration; Jenrya's eyes, never leaving his respective stack, were particularly fierce by now. The sharpness of the grays in his irises stood out more than they usually did. Just like a full-metal spike of the same color, Jenrya's eyes were piercing the area he observed. Though only Jaarin and Yariko were the only ones able to see them, Yariko suddenly felt an odd queasiness in her stomach after staring at Jenrya's eyes for a certain period of time.

Kenta's were nowhere near the level of fierceness; his were simply calculating. And that was it. Calculating, and hoping. Neither opposing Tamer could afford a slice of their concentration on anything else at this moment.

All this time… all that concentration… all for a mere split-second action. Both Jenrya and Kenta released their ball at nearly the exact same moment.

Both balls sped at blinding speed to their targets…

And the winner was…

… Neither of them.

Both balls missed their targets, and smacked against the wall. They rebounded into the bottom of the front of the booth, and rolled to the middle of the booth ground. Jaarin was suddenly very happy and fortunate that it occurred to her to move to a safe place.

The boys absolutely couldn't believe it. After all that time spent on concentration…!

"Now, that's just sad," Yariko remarked.

Jaarin, after calming down from that life-threatening moment, looked down to the balls and nodded. "Unbelievable. You both suck!"

Ruki found herself chuckling at the scene. Juri and Terriermon could only sweatdrop.

Kenta plopped to his knees, already visibly worn from the tension of just one throw. "Oh… my… god…"

Jenrya frowned in disbelief. "Figures _this_ would happen."

"Surprise, surprise," Jaarin muttered, picking up the balls. "Who would've thought…"

"Make them BOTH ride the boat!" Ruki called out.

"**SHUT UP, RUKI!**" both Jenrya AND Kenta shouted back fiercely, in unison.

Ruki just smirked. "You both suck. Neither of you clearly deserve the money."

"Now now," Jaarin cut in. "Ruki, we need to remember that we had a deal cut out. I intend to keep it as-is. We need a winner, here." She gritted her teeth impatiently. "Even if it takes _all night_."

"Oh, come ON," Kenta grumbled, standing back up. "We don't suck that much."

Yariko looked just as cynical. "You'd better not be bluffing. We've got jobs to do here, kids."

"Fine, fine," Jenrya growled quietly. "Give us the balls; we'll try it again."

"I can't believe we have to go through with this," Kenta complained as he received his ball once more. "Again!"

"Boys," Jaarin called out. "It might help if you just relaxed a bit. Just focus on your target and let the ball flow as natural. Just a suggestion."

"Whatever."

"Thanks."

Terriermon stood up, pumped with spirit and belief for his Tamer. "C'mon, Jen! Cream that thing!"

Juri, wanting to jump in, didn't really know who to root for. So, out of completely **nowhere**, she whipped out her Puppet and they both cheered. "Go Jenrya! Go Kenta! Go Jenrya! Go Kenta!"

"YOU BOTH SUCK!" Ruki called out, in an oddly positive tone.

The positioning took place again, but the situation was much more light-hearted now. Kenta managed to relax some, and Jenrya's eyes were remotely normal again.

They both let the balls fly.

CRASH! And Prang.

Kenta's stack was completely demolished; and sadly, as planned, Jenrya's stack was glued tight to the stand it sat on. The ball hit its target dead-on, so his stack as well could've been completely knocked over like Kenta's.

If only he wasn't rigged from the very start. Jenrya's ball simply ricocheted off its target, and into the bottom of the booth.

Jenrya, Terriermon, and Juri all gasped at the sight. Ruki, of course, was not surprised, and only smiled because the evil plan had succeeded. Kenta was too busy marveling at his own victory to even notice.

"No way…! Did I actually _win_? Just now?" Kenta took off his glasses, rubbed the lenses against his kimono, and then put them back on again. "Holy crap…! I… I **WON!**"

Jenrya just stared, his mouth gaping, wide open. Yariko couldn't help but just giggle at the all-too inevitable outcome. Jaarin smiled, but didn't laugh. She just shook her head, retrieved her bag full of god-knows-how-many yen, and walked over to Kenta.

"Jen, Jen, Jen," she teased. "Dishonoring our family line again by losing a lousy bet. I'm so disappointed!"

Kenta looked at his prize in awe as he received it. "God… I can't remember the last time I actually _won_ something… 'Kazu kept beating my ass in the card games… and now…"

Jenrya could barely move. He well knew of what just happened, and why. The shocking part for him was believing it. Believing that after that ridiculous argument earlier on, would trigger this moment of revenge, and cause him to sit next to some random girl he didn't even know on a boat ride that lasted who-knows how long.

Ruki just looked pleased, but Juri was horrified. Terriermon was just staring, oddly silenced, for once.

"Jaarin, you…"

Jaarin shrugged. "It's all part of being a big sister, Juri. Torture your little brothers if they annoy you first, but because I'm the elder, I have to do what's best for him, too."

"What…?" Jenrya could suddenly speak again. "What in the world made you think dragging me into a boat with a total stranger was the **BEST** for me?"

Jaarin narrowed her eyes. "I'd know, because according to Rinchei, it was the best thing for him when he was your age. And I'd kill for having enough free time to go on the ride myself…"

Jenrya growled. "Do I _look_ like Rinchei to you?"

"You're still a growing boy," Jaarin pointed out. "You'll need to vent your hormones on something eventually. All boys do. I think having any girl for just a little while will open your eyes and renew your perspective on reality. You should think positive!"

"And what if the girl was someone like Ruki? Or even worse?" Jenrya cried. "What if I have to be stuck in a boat with someone like that?"

Yariko looked to Ruki, who seemed rather unfazed by that comment. Odd, since she reacted violently to the previous ones… "Um, didn't you just hear him?"

Ruki just laughed again. "Should I care? I got the entertainment I wanted! He got punked!"

And just by hearing that, Jenrya felt even more ill than ever before. "**You** were in on this too?"

"Are you honestly surprised?" Ruki asked as she folded her arms. "The offer was way too tempting; who wouldn't want to prank a guy like you? You should really lighten up, you know."

"Really," Jaarin agreed, sneering at her brother. "You could've avoided this whole thing by declining the offer to play."

"You were guilt-tripping me when I declined it the first time!" Jenrya mentioned angrily.

"And since when does that affect you at home?" Jaarin shot back. "You never care about us when you're home. It doesn't matter that this was a setup. If you were oblivious enough to fall for it, Mr. Prodigy-of-the-Family, I'd say that's well enough proof that you deserve what you get. Besides, you might want to consider it a not-so friendly reminder that you still owe me money and a new dress; something you surely didn't shed too many tears over at my expense, remember?"

Jenrya stomped his foot in frustration. "But that's not fair! You went way beyond what I did, and those were just honest mistakes!"

Yariko rolled her eyes. "Life isn't fair, kiddo! Get used to it!"

"Come on, don't fight us anymore over this," Jaarin urged, less aggressively as she had been just before. "For all you know, it might turn out wonderful for you. And you might thank me for it!"

"Somehow I **highly** doubt that," Jenrya muttered under his breath. Facing the facts and undergoing this punishment would be a lot harder than he imagined.

"You might as well keep your chin up while you're doing it," Yariko suggested, attempting to be helpful. "Whether you enjoy it or not, keeping a positive attitude will make the process go by much quicker."

"Like he's going to consent to that," said Ruki. "If he thinks all girls are like me, there's no way he's going to force himself to enjoy a boat ride."

Juri blinked, unable to really find the right words to reprimand the other girls of what they did. By no means, did she think what they did was right at all, but at the same time, Jenrya's behavior was giving her a really hard time with thinking up something for his defense. It sort of made her feel bad… because she knew she was the only other Tamer of the group to know the pain that is having a sibling. If there were anything she could relate to with Jenrya in terms of family problems, this would be it.

But the solutions just weren't coming to her this time.

_'What could I say to help him anyway,'_ she thought, as she already had given up on trying to support her friend. _'Like I really treat Masahiko any better than Jaarin and Jenrya treat each other.'_

"Jen," Juri said quietly and softly, as to not intrude too heavily on the heated debate. "Do you really think all girls are the same…?"

And the verbally battle-worn Jenrya turned to Juri in surprise, not expecting her to actually say anything until they had left the vicinity. "Ah… what do you mean?"

Juri couldn't bring herself to even look at Jenrya; her eyes were firmly directed to the ground. Her arms were behind her back; the continuing fight made her more timid by the second.

"I don't think there's anything wrong with Ruki," Juri said almost in a whisper, albeit a shaky one. "I know you two aren't close, and I shouldn't tell you how to feel, but…"

Jenrya was already feeling guilty, and he didn't even have a clue about what Juri was getting at. But he knew one thing; this guilt-tripping was beginning to upset him.

"… She's my friend, Jenrya," Juri forced out as softly as she could. She never liked to be an intimidating figure, after all. "And if you really discriminate against all girls just because you think she's too rowdy…"

"I-… I don't!" Jenrya claimed, stuttering. "It's not like that at all, Juri …"

Juri refused to look relieved just yet. "Are you telling the truth?"

"I'm completely honest," Jenrya assured, looking to Juri in the desperately begging manner. "I don't think you're like Ruki at all. You're a very nice, smart girl. I'm happy that I'm getting to know you better, really," Jenrya was the one starting to look away now; he was suddenly finding himself short-winded. "I just… don't… like being around people I don't know… people I don't know if I can trust."

Juri looked up. "Total strangers?"

Jenrya nodded. "Girl or boy. If it was someone I knew and wasn't Ruki, I wouldn't mind this so much."

Juri seemed to understand that. When she thought about it, going on a boat ride with some random guy sounded like no pleasure trip to her, either. "I see."

"Oh, _please_," Jaarin sighed. "Haven't you ever heard of 'love at first sight'?"

"That's only but a fantastical myth," corrected Ruki.

Jaarin frowned. "Hey, I'm trying to get him to go on the boat, okay?"

"I'll _go_ on the boat if it means that much to you," Jenrya finally conceded. "Just to prove I still have some dignity for myself, if nothing else. Because I know if the roles were reversed in this situation, Jaarin, you'd drag this conversation on for years just to get out of riding the boat."

This made Jaarin laugh. "If I was anything like _you_, maybe!" Then she smirked. "Quite frankly, Jen, I envy you. I wish **I** could ride the boat instead of manning this cramped booth all night long."

"Save it for someone who cares," Jenrya called out as he stomped off to leave. Terriermon made a giant leap from Juri back to Jenrya.

"Didn't think you'd handle it so well, Jen! I'm proud of you! How about I stick with you for this ride of torture, just to make it easy on ya?"

"Just so long as you don't talk and freak the girl out…"

"Mwahahaha!"

The others looked on worriedly as the pair walked off towards the end of the line for the specified ride.

"Oh well, that's that," Jaarin announced, sitting back. "All we can do now is sit and wait for our result to come to us." She sat down and kicked her rigged stand over. "And meanwhile it's back to business for me."

Yariko looked to the piling line starting on her booth as well. "Guess it's the same routine for me… eheh…"

"Well, I appreciate your help, Ruki," Jaarin thanked cheerfully. "Couldn't have done it without you."

"My pleasure," Ruki insisted. "I'm just glad Goggle-Head wasn't here to screw this up even more than it already has."

The mention of the unfriendly pet name made Juri's mind snap just then.

"Wait a second…!" Juri gasped. "Where has Takato been all this time?"

Ruki blinked. "He wasn't with you?"

"He was a while ago!" Juri panicked. "Kenta… do you have any ideas?"

Kenta was still obsessively admiring his wonderful prize. His dark eyes filled with enthusiastic sparkles, his mouth gaping wide open with his teeth bared out fully… he hadn't been this happy in ages.

"I… I won… and I'm RICH! **KICK ASS!**"

"Oh no," bemoaned Juri. "If he's been gone all this time, he must be lost… _where could he be now?_"

* * *

( POV – Takato )

* * *

_Now_ where could I be? I've been searching forever, surely… I can't believe my friends would just LEAVE me like that! I can't help it if I zone out between my own thinking sometimes! They know I do that! How could they do this to me? Especially when it wastes so much time! 

The worst part of this scenario was that the bulk of the crowd was coming in by this time. The entire place was packed with people, making it near impossible to spot any of my friends. Not only this, every ride had a giant waiting line to go with it. Even places to buy food were utterly crowded. Everything just had to fall apart when I got left behind like this, didn't it?

This was getting ridiculous. Even finding Ruki would be relieving in a time like this. I guess it's better than being alone… like I am now…

It was useless wasting my time like this. I decided to just go ahead and pick a ride with a line that was either short enough to wait for, or progressed on fast enough. Who knows, I could always find one of my friends there. I bet they're living it up without me… I just _know_ they are… but I can't think about that right now. Not until I find them. Then I can give them a piece of my mind.

Okay, that's enough of thinking. Thinking myself out of the festival entirely would be bad right now. I looked up to see another line just ahead of me. But this one was considerably shorter than all the other lines I've come across. After inspecting the area a bit, I noticed there wasn't a sign indicating what kind of ride this line was for, or if it was even a ride to begin with. But there was a giant cardboard wall trailing along with the line with lots of bright colors painted on it. If that doesn't signify a ride, I don't know what does. And I was sick of wasting time just trying to find shorter lines. Whatever this ride was, it was a little isolated from the groups of others, so I figured if I had to endure the pain of being in a line, it was best to suffer it here quickly.

So, as casually as I could, I walked over to the public and took my place at the end of the line. I was only doing this because there happened to be a lot of girls in the vicinity. Unlike Hirokazu, I had the manners to at least act sophisticated when in the presence of a lot of women. Call it courtesy, I guess. Or practice for Juri, either one…

Maybe it was just me, but several of the girls seemed to do double takes by the time I had made it to the line. A few of them even continued to stare at me after that. So, taking precautions, I checked my kimono thoroughly, ruffled my hair, and wiped my face just to make sure there wasn't something on me or something wrong with my appearance that was making me such an obvious attraction. But as it looked… that wasn't the problem. And it's not good etiquette to just go up and ask a girl what her problem is. Especially if it's one I don't know! So I just decided to ignore them. But it wasn't easy, and all the staring was beginning to make me feel uncomfortable. It's like they were trying to make me feel like I didn't belong in the line… maybe I was a curse, which many people followed me wherever I went, so that would make me the cause of all the long lines plaguing this place?

That's ridiculous, though. I thought I made a promise to myself to have more self-esteem. _Me_, a curse? I couldn't be that bad. If that were the case, my friends would all most likely be dead now.

Thankfully, though, as the line continued to move up, which it did at a fair speed (I was thankful for this greatly), the stares started dwindling down to nothing. So I was excited to finally be able to go on a ride. It was just too bad I couldn't share it with a friend. And it was starting to get late now… the sun was already in the process of setting. Between this and the numerous people here and the size of the festival itself… I was beginning to wonder if I'd ever find my friends before the night was over. Would I be stranded here? They wouldn't really do that… Jen would stay behind for me. Juri might, too. It's good to have at least one or two friends to count on when you get in sticky situations like this… hey, maybe if I'm lucky, they'd all stay behind for my sake? Well, maybe I shouldn't be _too_ optimistic.

Ugh… the possibility of being stranded, all alone in the festival wasn't agreeing with my nerves. I felt an actual stomach pain coming on this time, but I didn't figure it was anything illness-related. Stomach cramps caused by nerves tend to happen to me all the time. I just needed to think about happy thoughts to calm down. If I'm lucky, I might catch one of my friends while we're riding…

It wouldn't be long now. I could see I was well on my way towards the front of the line, but I still couldn't see anything resembling a ride up ahead. But we were so close to the woods; it was already naturally dark in this area without the sun having to be completely down. In a weird way, this setting was kind of… spooky. Might possibly be a scary ride. It is autumn, and this festival DOES seem to be half-American, and it's getting close to Halloween time in the States now… makes sense to me, I guess!

Even if it wasn't a ride, there was no way I'd turn back now. I was too close to the end of this line to just wait for nothing. I couldn't pass up this chance to find a friend on the ride; the line was moving so quickly, it MUST be taking a lot of passengers.

All of a sudden, I heard some giggling in the background. And for some reason I wasn't sure of… that giggling sounded familiar. I was sure I've heard of it before. Kind of reminded me of Juri and her silly, cute little giggle whenever I did something stupid. The kind of giggle that—

… JURI?

What in the world was I doing? THINKING? Thinking was only getting me into trouble. Without another thought in my head, I turned around to look at the line behind me, to trace the source of the giggling. And for some reason, this made even more girls stare at me. Once AGAIN making me feel alienated. Why, oh why must everyone pick on me…?

But I'll whine about that later. After scanning down the line behind me, I spotted a couple of girls I could immediately recognize, but despite my efforts, I couldn't actually find Juri anywhere in line. The girls I did discover happened to be a couple of my old classmates: Ayaka Itou and Miki Nakajima. They were a couple of Juri's good friends, so I was surprised to not see her with them this time around… even though she hadn't come to the festival with them to begin with.

When they noticed that I was there facing them, their giggling stopped quite abruptly. Their smiles disappeared, and they made no movement whatsoever. Once again, I was confused. I was SURE they haven't forgotten about me…

… Or… wait. They were laughing at **me**, weren't they?

Despite this suspicion, I tried to keep a friendly tone to myself. "Ayaka, Miki! How's the festival going for you guys?"

There was a moment of silence as one of the frazzled girls tried to speak. I could sense quite well that somehow, they weren't really intending to speak with me tonight.

"J-… just fine," Miki replied. "Sorry, Takato. We thought you were someone else."

"Really!" said Ayaka, very nervously. "It didn't seem likely you'd be in this line! We were surprised."

I think it was obvious that they were not all right. Even I could tell that. "… This IS a ride, isn't it?"

This made both Ayaka and Miki come close to laughing again, but they held it. "Well… sure it is!" Ayaka assured me. "Without a doubt!"

"Thank god," I muttered, turning briefly to the front to move on ahead in line, since some people behind me were beginning to get impatient. It would just be another minute or two before I could come on. "So what exactly is so funny?"

"You wouldn't understand it!" Miki blurted out right after I had asked. "It's… ah, a girl thing."

Something felt SO wrong, now. "… Are you sure?" I was beginning to think I had missed a spot when I checked my hair and clothes for any foreign objects or stains…

Miki by now had managed to keep a straight face. "It's not about _you_, if that's what you're thinking."

Continuously looking to the line in front of me, I let out a deep sigh. Maybe I'll never know what's caused practically every girl to blatantly notice me, but if I have assurance from my friends, then that's all I need to get past this. The girls in the line had stopped paying any more attention to me, now. They seemed a little more eager to reach the end of the line. And that wouldn't happen until I moved and kept up with the actual line progression… so despite my happiness of actually finding some people I knew amongst the strangers, I had to pay attention so everyone in line wouldn't start staring at me again.

Miki was able to keep a straight face, but Ayaka was giving into her quiet giggling once more. This worried me again, as Miki made little attempt to shut her friend up.

"Don't mind us!" Miki said, waving me off. "Just… enjoy your ride! I'm sure we will, too!"

I just shook my head and sweatdropped. "Are you sure there isn't something wrong?"

Ayaka's laughing was gradually increasing in volume, as she clung to her friend in a desperate attempt to regain control of herself. Miki's own calm expressions were soon giving in to whatever the hell she found so hilarious.

"There's nothing wrong at **ALL**!" Ayaka practically shouted as she fell to her knees, in an uncontrollable fight of laughter that was getting louder and scarier by the minute.

"T-Take our word for it!" Miki wailed, bending over with her hands on her knees, catching her breath. "And have fun, Takato!"

Like I'd trust their word now. But I didn't have any more time to worry about it. I ran to where the line was moving on without me, realizing I was up for riding after one more person. Finally. I peeked around the area in front of the person next in line… but she was unusually tall, so it was hard to see everything. In fact, it was almost **pitch black** because we were practically inside the beginning of the woods, now! All I could make out was an unusual tunnel jutting out from a body of water, which stretched out far beyond where I could see where it ends. In fact, the woodland area seemed almost like a cave with an opening in the distance, where I could still see water continuing ahead.

My eyes wandered back to the surroundings of near where I was at right now, and noticed that on the other side of the line I was at and the tunnel, there seemed to be another line that was ending out in more or less, the same place this line was, only on the other side of the small dock connecting to the land. I was a little confused. Were they going on the same ride as I was? Why would this ride have two separate lines? Was this other line SHORTER than the one I was at? Aw man, did I just waste even MORE time? … But it's kind of pointless to beat myself up for it now. I'd be getting on this ride in just a few moments.

Just then, I stepped up on the dock, seeing the girl ahead of me walk on ahead to the mode of transportation giving me the allegedly satisfying ride I needed: a… boat. After thinking about this, I was beginning to wonder if a ride that would totally soak me was the best for my entertainment needs. I mean, don't get me wrong; I like those kinds of rides just fine, and certainly wasn't scared of getting _wet_, but it was getting a bit nippy outside since the sun was setting. It would only get colder over time; now wasn't a good time to be drenched.

Oh well, I guess I could stand to make the sacrifice, after going back and thinking about all those other rides with their hideously long lines which decrease the whole value of the ride in general… I should be more thankful that this line has gone by as quick as it did; this'll probably be the quickest I'll ever manage to get to a ride tonight.

As I stepped to the front, anticipating my turn to board a boat, I glanced back at all the people waiting behind me. Every single one of them seemed to be looking straight at me now. It didn't feel right… but I'd swear, every single eye was right on me. For a brief moment I looked further back to the line just to re-locate Ayaka and Miki's position in the line. They were a little ways off from the end, but I could still see them both laughing just as they were when I first found them. This fact didn't bother me as much as another… the fact that the other girls in the line were beginning to laugh **with** them!

But I wasn't going to let a stupid thing like peer pressure chase me out of this ride. I turned to the front, vowing not to look back again. I just… couldn't take that right now. Instead, I tried to get a better look at the line across the water from me. It was really dark, though, so I couldn't see anyone's faces. But I could see their outlines well enough, since it WAS getting dark, every stand and ride in the entire festival that had lights were being turned on by now. It made this area in particular all the spookier, honestly…

But I breathed a little sigh of relief when I realized that the figures looked quite masculine on the other side. This was a good thing; there were so many girls in my line, I was beginning to think I was wasting all this time for riding the Pretty Pink Princess Ride of Sugary Peace and Love Yay. Then again, if that were the case, I would've seen Shuichon in line for this line for sure, if she was here by now. Hell, I could see her just riding a ride like that alone for the entire time she'd be here.

The boat carrying the girl that was previously in the line before me was beginning to float away, now. I noticed there was another person with her in the boat since I had observed it briefly ago. So it WOULD be a two-person ride, but I could deal with that, I guess. Strangers aren't all that bad when it comes to rides; I mean, they're here for the same reason you are. I can easily coexist with someone I don't know and enjoy the ride all the same.

Besides, if I didn't find my friends soon, I'd have to get used to riding with a bunch of people I don't know.

The older man who was in his tiny (and probably cramped) operation booth on the dock gave me somewhat of a funny look before the boat I'd be taking came along. Unknowing of what the supposed problem was, I just gave a little grin and sweatdrop in return, and resumed my state of total embarrassment. If the ADULT even sees what's wrong with me, then this couldn't be a joke.

He didn't say anything, though. He just motioned me to board the boat that had just stopped before me. It wasn't a particularly large boat at all, though. Made of wood, and specifically meant to seat two people, with two oars sitting at the bottom. It seemed like these boats were automated to run on their own, so I wasn't sure exactly what they were for other than effect, but I decided not to waste anymore time dwelling on unimportant details.

I still couldn't help but think what this ride was all about… considering there were no safety bars or seatbelts or anything to secure you in. It was almost like it was just a regular boat ride with no surprises at all. But I'd never know until I stepped aboard, so that's what I did. The boat was a little shaky… it didn't balance easily, so I made sure to remain perfectly still on the boat as my stranger companion would take his or her seat after me. I gave one last look to the crowd watching me board, and frowned. They seemed to be plenty amused that I'm going through with this, but WHY this was such a big deal, I'll never know…

"Hey, come on! Don't chicken out now! You waited the whole time in the line; now that you're here, you might as well get it over with!"

I... recognized that voice.

"I can't go through with this, I'm sorry. I know I said I would, but… the whole premise of this ride is utterly ridiculous! It's a waste of time!"

"Didn't I tell you to give it a chance? And you agreed to it. You need to keep your promises, y'know. Besides, if you cut out now, the others will know you choked for sure."

"Fine! Let them know! By now I couldn't care less what they think! They can't make me ride this stupid thing!"

"You realize you're making this a lot worse than it really is, right?"

I recognized the other voice too…

"Hey, what's the hold up? Who's supposed to be boarding next?"

"Uh… "

"Is it you? Get the lead out; people are waiting here!"

"R… right… I'll hurry…"

"Y'gotta keep that promise. So moumantai!"

"YOU keep your promise and stop talking right **now**."

M… Moumantai?

"Right!… Right!"

The dark, tallish figure approaching the boat let out a giant sigh that reeked of 'I'd-Rather-Die-Than-Go-Through-With-This'. The other voice stopped talking as he stepped aboard the boat. From the darkness, I still couldn't see my riding partner's face, but I could tell that he wasn't looking at me at all. And from the familiar body build and hairstyle outlined from the festival lights gave me a pretty good idea of whom I'd be riding this boat with. The voices, and everything… it was all clear now. Thank God! And here I was thinking I'd never find any of them!

"Je—"

"Listen," I was… suddenly interrupted. "I don't know you, and you don't know me. And I obviously don't have anything against you personally because of that, but the fact remains that I'm not looking for a girlfriend at this time, and even if I were, I wouldn't start a relationship on such shallow grounds. You can't make a lasting relationship based on a 10-minute ride across the lake. You might not understand that now, but someday that realization will dawn on you and you'll feel like an idiot. I'm ONLY here because I lost a stupid bet to my sister. Please accept this and move on with your life."

Admittedly, I was silenced by that disturbing turn-off speech. But at least I could be sure of whom I was sitting next to now.

"Jen, it's me!" I exclaimed, putting my hand over his shoulder to express my point. "Takato!"

Jen's response was a little hasty at first. "Nice try, but—" Then he stopped in mid-sentence, like he was _just now_ recognizing my voice. "… Takato?"

"Hi, Jen!" I greeted cheerfully, as I was still VERY pleased that I could at least find one friend on this ride as I had hoped. "I'm glad I found you! It's taken me forever to find you guys…"

Even though it was hard to tell what his facial expressions were in the dark, something just didn't feel right to me about Jen. He didn't seem all that happy that he found me… oh god, just what happened…

"What are you doing here?" Jenrya practically shouted at me. But he wasn't angry… he was more scared. Surprised, aghast… like I wasn't supposed to be there.

Dude, what the _hell _is going on? Just WHAT was I doing wrong? First the girls, then Ayaka and Miki, then the guy operating the ride, and now Jenrya as well?

"Heeey," the other voice, which was obviously Terriermon, spoke again. "It's not a stranger-girl. It's a… guy you know. Um, Takato? What brings you HERE?"

"Excuse me!" I interjected, completely aggravated at this point. NOW Terriermon has a problem with my being here… enough of this crap. "Just WHAT is going on here? Why is it a big deal that I'm on this ride?"

"You tell us," Terriermon shot back. "I'm sure no one forced you onto this!"

I blinked, not understanding what Terriermon meant. "… What are you talking about? Of course I came on my own free will. This was the ride with the shortest line. And it was my best chance of **finding** one of you, since you SO thoughtfully left me behind nearly half an hour ago!"

Jenrya paused again before responding. "… Ah, I'm really sorry," he shook his head, still visibly shaken. "We lost track of you. We didn't know where to look, so we just kept going."

"Still doesn't explain your position," Terriermon noted. "Takato, **why** are you on this ride again? Juri wasn't planning on going at all on this one in particular."

I was taken aback. For Juri? Since when was _Juri_ apart of this equation? "And how exactly was I to know she wouldn't be on this ride?

"Why else would you be here?" Jenrya asked. "Then again, you did come here through the _wrong line_, obviously…"

Terriermon chuckled a bit. "Yeah; he couldn't have done that on purpose."

I suddenly felt numb all over my body… "Um, I didn't see a sign anywhere… do you guys know what this ride is?"

"I was wondering when this would occur to you," Jenrya grumbled impatiently. "It's a _love ride_, Takato."

It did occur to me that the person seated next to the girl in front of me on the boat ahead of us was a guy. It explains why the guy at the operation booth was giving me funny looks, as well as all those girls. Then again, I had longer hair than most boys… some people might've been wondering if I WAS a girl all along… that'll do wonders for my self-esteem… but now I understand by the hell Ayaka and Miki found this so amusing.

Hell, come to think of it, there weren't _any_ guys at all in the line I was at.

Oh. My. God. My stupid naivety has placed me on a _love boat_ with my _best friend_.

… Only me, right? Classic Takato Matsuda.

* * *

( POV – Nobody )

* * *

Jenrya knew for sure, now, that Takato had somehow wound up here completely by accident. Otherwise he wouldn't be frozen and silent in a state of shock. Sure, admittedly, he thought Takato was usually **not** this dense; then again, Takato never seemed to function right when he was all alone. So in all likelihood, that might've caused Takato to be a little brain dead… at least, that theory seemed to make sense… 

"T-Takato?" He stuttered, somewhat afraid to have to witness Takato's next reaction to this horrifying situation. "Takato?"

His best friend was yet unable to talk coherently, however. He was stiff as a board, squeaking out only a quiet, soft-pitched whine as his first initial take on the horrible mistake he just made.

"Poor guy," Terriermon sympathized. "I'd feel like a dumbass too, going on the wrong line like that."

"You'd THINK someone would tell him before he got up to this point," Jenrya bemoaned, still finding it hard to believe he'd find Takato in this manner. "There's no way Jaarin would believe this happening."

"True," Terriermon agreed. "You'd have to be really unlucky to get into this situation."

Jenrya only shook his head as he turned back to Takato. "Come on, Takato. It's not _that_ big of a deal…" And just like that, his last ounce of calmness disappeared, as he started shaking Takato, "TA-KA-TO! Answer me! Are you all right?"

Just after briefly looking back, Terriermon sweatdropped, never comfortable with Jenrya's random spurts of panic. "Moumantai, Jen! You might make him more brain dead!"

Jenrya pulled away sharply, looking around at his surroundings, noticing that despite this awkward turn of events, the boat had been moving all this time, and they were almost into the actual lake now. But after looking back to Takato, who was still effectively stunned, he decided there were more important things to fix first.

"Ah…" Takato forced out, falling to the side, but remained sitting up through the support of his arms. "Oh my god," he said, almost in a whisper. "I'm such a _moron_…"

"Are you okay, really?" Jenrya asked, wincing at the sight of his best friend being this miserable. "It's not your fault…"

"Jen!" Takato shouted, sitting upright instantly. "I could've chosen to not come here! But I did, and I ruined your chances of meeting a girl…"

Terriermon just smirked. "What makes you think he wants to meet a girl? Didn't you listen to him earlier?"

Takato just looked down at the bottom of the boat. "I thought he was just nervous…"

"Not really," said Jenrya, finally calming down. "I wouldn't come off so nasty if I was nervous. I just had to come here since I lost a bet to Jaarin. I knew I shouldn't have gotten involved, but I swear, everyone was pressuring me to do it, and without you around, I didn't know what else to do…"

Takato raised an eyebrow. "You really need me to help you make decisions?"

"Well, it was just the pressure of everyone wanting me to do it… Jaarin, her friend, Ruki, Kenta… even Juri…"

Takato stiffened, as he often did hearing Juri's name, especially when Jenrya mentioned it these days. "So they made you ride this when you lost…"

"Yeah," Jenrya confirmed, sounding rather bitter. "I don't really want to talk about it right now."

Takato sighed and looked back at the dark area they were beginning to leave. Two boats with a couple on them were already coming behind them. The crowd seemed rather far away now, and the water was getting steadily deeper as he, Jenrya, and Terriermon were moving gradually away from the trees and out into the open lake.

"I guess it's too late to turn back on this," Takato assumed, turning back to the front.

Jenrya looked back one last time, and nodded. "Unless you're up for swimming back."

"No thanks," Takato declined with a laugh. "We'd freeze for sure. I guess this isn't too bad, though, right?"

Jenrya smiled. "It takes a lot of pressure off me in knowing I don't have to do this with someone I don't even know."

"Though you're gonna have a time explaining this to Jaarin and the others when we get back," reminded Terriermon. "You know full well Jaarin's expecting you to bring a pretty girl back with you!"

"Jaarin can shove it," Jenrya growled under his breath. "First she has to make me feel bad when we're riding over here, and now she has the nerve to pull this on me, just because she wants me to be popular like _everyone else_ in our family."

Takato shook his head, pitying Jenrya. "They shouldn't expect so much of you," he comforted. "Being popular isn't everything it's cut out to be, I'm sure. And if you don't want a girlfriend right now, there's definitely no reason why you should have to have one."

"At least my parents can understand that," Jenrya credited. "But they're both so busy; it's hard for them to keep up with the four of us up to every little detail. So all of us have a war waging against each other for some reason or another. Jaarin and Rinchei will sometimes team up, but other than that our fights are pretty much free-for-alls."

"That must be hard," Takato sympathized, almost wishing he could really understand how aggravating this would be. "You guys don't always have to fight, you know. You said it yourself once, remember?"

Jenrya narrowed his eyes. "Siblings are the rare exception I make for my morals." He leaned over on his knees, peering at the lake just ahead of them. "Trust me; it's impossible to live with so many annoying people for your entire childhood. You'll always get cheated, ganged up on, blamed, and humiliated by them at some point in your life. There's just no avoiding it."

"That's horrible," Takato commented sullenly.

Terriermon chuckled a bit. "You'll have to pardon Jen; he sometimes might exaggerate a few things!"

"There's no exaggeration here," Jenrya muttered. "Brothers and sisters are just a nightmare to deal with on a full-time basis."

"You're making it sound like you don't even love 'em," Terriermon said jokingly. "If you were an only child like Ruki or even Takato, you would SO miss 'em!"

"Sometimes I wonder…"

"I don't know exactly what to say," Takato said nervously, chuckling a little just to make it seem like he was as lighthearted about the situation as Terriermon was. "Mom made it very clear that she didn't want any more kids after me, so I guess really, the closest way I can relate to you is through Kai…"

"He's your _cousin_," Jenrya pointed out. "That's not quite the same thing."

Takato looked down and shrunk away from Jenrya. "I know."

* * *

( POV – Takato )

* * *

When we were finally out on the open lake, we realized the boat was no longer moving on its own; so I guess the oars were actually meant to be used. Jenrya and I both took one and started paddling away on the trail that was set for us, lined with buoy balls. But it seemed way too easy to just go off course and get lost… especially in the dark like this… 

But when we were far enough away from where the ride began, and just completely surrounded by the lake and the land around it, I couldn't help but adore the atmosphere. It was just absolutely perfect. There wasn't a cloud in the sky; and since it was already autumn, it didn't take long for the night sky to come along, and after that the stars were showing up, with the moon following after.

Despite the fact that the lines moved quite quickly for this line, we didn't see much of the pair in front of or behind us. Somehow it was spaced so well that each pair had their own decent amount of alone time. And only now did I curse myself for screwing up by going on the wrong line; if only I knew about this in the first place… and could've somehow invited Juri on it…

"Are you really okay, Takato?" Jenrya suddenly asked, looking overly concerned as usual. "You seem a little tense."

I looked over to my friend and gave him an assuring smile, though he was right about me being tense. I really haven't been myself this entire time. "Just… certain things on my mind do that, Jen. It's really nothing."

"If you say so," Jenrya said with uncertainty. "But I never did get around to asking you why you fainted a while back, just before we met with the others when we got here…"

That was exactly what I DIDN'T want to talk about. "Um… thinking again. Sometimes it makes me a little light-headed." And that had to be the stupidest lie I **ever** came up with.

"You really suck at lying, y'know?" Terriermon noted oh-so conveniently. "And I thought Jen was bad." Terriermon was relaxing around the very front of the boat, away from us.

Jenrya also didn't look anywhere near convinced. "Are you sure it wasn't something I said that made you faint?"

Sometimes, I really hate it when you're right, Jen.

"Um… of course not!"

This was Terriermon's cue to grin. "I bet it was something I said!"

"It wasn't anything!" I insisted harshly, because to me, there was no point in bringing up this issue again. Because I've told myself a million times that my paranoia was all just a part of my overactive imagination. "Nothing that was important!"

Jenrya looked over to Terriermon, seemingly ignoring my futile denial. "What were we talking about before Takato fainted?"

"One Juri Katou," Terriermon said slyly, in that hideous suggestive way that made me want to **explode**.

"Oh, yeah," Jenrya smiled, finally remembering the conversation held. But that smile soon disappeared when he looked back to me, like he instantly knew what I feared back then. "Takato, you're being silly."

I let out a sigh; it sucks when your friends can read you like a book. "I know I am."

"I don't want to go out with Juri," Jenrya reiterated with a laugh. "I've never thought of her in that way! You don't have anything to worry about."

Terriermon, not looking at either of us, just snickered quietly, looking as if he was plotting some evil scheme already. "You are suuuuuch a liar…"

Jenrya just shook his head. "You can ignore Terriermon; he just can't stand the fact that I'm not ready for a relationship yet."

"I bet," I could only give Jen a nervous smile in return. "Terriermon, why would you want Jen in a relationship even though he clearly doesn't want to be in one?"

"It sure would help his self-esteem," Terriermon replied. "To have some girl cling on him and tell him how great and wonderful he is. 'Cause I know Jen thinks so badly of himself that he'd need it!"

"Isn't that what we're here for?" I inquired.

"Hah," Terriermon scoffed, beginning to scratch at the wooden boat now. "He just thinks you're saying that because you're his friends! He needs someone he doesn't directly know to point out his positive characteristics!"

I blinked, and looked back to Jenrya. "Is that really what you think…?"

Jenrya chuckled again, but not so casually this time. "No way! I don't think you all would lie to me that much! I trust you…" He looked up to the sky… where I could see the moonlight reflecting off the whites in his eyes. "You guys are all I really can trust."

I felt better knowing that, so I patted Jen on the shoulder friendly. "Thanks, Jen."

"Don't mention it," Jenrya insisted, looking back down on me, before giving an annoyed glare to Terriermon. "And you really need to watch what you're saying, Terriermon. I swear, you couldn't keep a secret to save your life."

"That's what I'm all about!" Terriermon proudly exclaimed as he scratched harder against the surface of the boat. "Jokes and gossip!"

"Yeah, I can believe that," Jen grumbled. "And will you stop shredding the boat?"

Terriermon's response was a very mature gesture: his big, flopping tongue sticking out. Boy, maybe I should be thankful I didn't have a Digimon partner so overly witty, too…

"The point is," Jenrya resumed, getting back on-topic. "I can't be longing for Juri if I don't want to have a relationship yet. So you don't have anything to worry about, Takato. All I want to be is her friend." He then smirked. "Besides, she's the only other one amongst our group that isn't an only child aside from me and Shuichon. I could probably learn something from her."

"I know, I know," I assured, knowing these explanations would be said to me sooner or later. "I don't want to discourage you from being friends with her. I'd just be greedy to do that… I just… I don't really know what's bothering me. I'll be easier on you, I promise."

Jenrya shook his head. "I'd like it better if you just calmed down. Fainting over a girl can't be healthy at your age. I don't want to have to worry about you, because you know I tend to do that a lot…"

"Don't I," I said with a happy sigh. "It's a best friend requirement, Jen. We should look out for each other, always."

Jen paused for a moment, and blinked once, before saying anything. "I've always wondered, Takato … do you really mean I'm actually your best friend? Above everyone else?"

"As long as I've known you," I responded, feeling better to talk about something a little more… us-related than Juri-related. "Guilmon aside, of course. It kind of makes me wish I've known you as long as I have my other friends. It might've made my life a lot more fun… and interesting."

Jenrya just stared at me in shock.

"… Not to say my life's dull, or that it was bad or anything!" I said quickly. "I only meant… well… I wish I knew you like I know 'Kazu… and Kenta… and Juri. I never got to know you until we became Tamers. I've been with my other friends since kindergarten, practically."

Jenrya's stare turned into a warm smile, which I've grown to like so much. Kenta smiling in that manner is just unheard of; Juri smiling constantly makes me blush; and 'Kazu smiling that way is just plain scary. Plus it means he obviously wants something. That's how he works.

"Sometimes I wish I knew you forever too," Jenrya spoke very softly. "I wouldn't have felt so lonely all the time, then…"

I felt somewhat compelled to ask him about that, but I decided it was too good of a night to force Jenrya to talk about something that might make him feel bad. "You're not alone, though," I reminded him as quietly as I could, scooting closer to him. "And as long as you're with us, you won't be lonely again. While I'm still around, I'll make sure you won't be alone."

Jenrya looked to me, but remained silent. He wasn't staring at me oddly like he was just recently, but he was looking at me in a certain peculiar way; something that told me he never experienced this kind of loyal friendship before. This just put more questions into my head that I wanted answers for, though… just what kinds of people did Jenrya hang out with before he met us? If he even **hung out** with anyone?

"I don't know how we became such good friends over a short period of time," I admitted. "Maybe we're not supposed to know… but as long as I've known my other friends, I'm nowhere near as close to them as I am with you, Jen. I can't explain how that came about, but the point is… we are best friends. Forever, and always. And nothing can change that."

Before Jenrya even responded to that… I felt a little weird on the inside. I'm not sure why, but just… saying that made me feel a little fluttery. Somewhat nervous, but mostly… relaxed. I couldn't remember the last time I've had this open of a conversation with Jen, but I was glad we could have this moment to share it now. Nobody around except Terriermon… we could say any secret we wanted to share, talk about anything we wanted to, and express ourselves in any manner we chose to; without having to put on a tough-guy stereotype routine in front of a bunch of people just so we wouldn't be made fun of. I wasn't going to fool myself for a second. Jen and I weren't very big players in the Men's Conquest to keep an eye out for #1. We didn't care if we weren't the strongest, beefiest guys in school who kicked ass in sports. Preying upon the smaller, weaker kids of the school didn't interest us.

Practical jokes, on girls particularly, was _not_ our way of having fun.

And as long as I've been at Hirokazu's side, I knew all along this kind of behavior, as humane and superior as it seemed to be, was just an eternal blackmail to the bigger male influences of the school, so it was always best to mask yourself in the hallways. It's wise to make them think you're one of them, without having to totally change your personality. I guess that's one thing I could thank 'Kazu for… if it weren't for him, I'd be in the league of the Nerds by now. And one might think that I technically **am** a nerd, but I'm talking about a full-blown wheezing, nose running, allergy-infested zit-covered monster of a nerd. If it weren't for Hirokazu, my best friend would be the kid with the boil jutting out from his left cheek. And while I certainly don't discriminate against the nerds (they're people too!)… that's… just not me.

But it just occurred to me that as much as Jen acts like he's been friendless up until he became a Tamer, that he OBVIOUSLY didn't have anyone to protect, or at the very least warn him about these kinds of dangers. He might've not had a circle of friends in his past to hang out and show off his normal-ness with. Perhaps he was even oblivious of the art of changing your personality in front of certain people to evade oppression. … It was beginning to make sense now. As good as Jen tended to be in school… oh dear…

"… Takato…"

I snapped out of my trance of endless thoughts upon hearing Jen's voice. It all came back to me, now. What all I just told him… what our friendship meant to me. Because I could see the mutual feeling all over Jenrya's face just then. It somewhat discomforted me in a way… because it really looked as if NO ONE has ever given Jenrya this kind of reassurance in his entire life. But at the same time, I felt so great… because all along, we really understood each other. Our needs. Our feelings. What we want from life.

"Jen…?"

Odd yet predictable as it seemed, Jenrya looked like he was about to cry again. But this time, it was out of happiness, rather than resentment for his siblings. Thankfully though, he was able to hold it back and resist his urges.

He still didn't seem like he could say anything, so I gave him a small hug to relax him, or at the very least disprove any doubt in his mind that this was really happening; because it was happening. This was meant to come up sooner or later; Jen and I couldn't hide from this forever.

"It's okay, Jen…" I sighed out as gently as I could… hugging him with one arm, and my other hanging over his chest, taking a hold of his hand, doing anything I could to put him at ease. Though I wasn't exactly sure if my soothing tactics were working, I at least felt content with this… what I was doing. Leaning over Jen, giving him a loose, easy hug… feeling his body shudder upwards and down every single time he breathed (I figured this was because of the weather getting steadily cooler)… and his hand in mine, my fingers lacing between his own. Despite the cold, his hand was quite warm… and in spite of my attempts to calm him down, I could feel the pulse near his wrist quicken slowly, but gradually in a significant manner. I was wondering for a moment if I was making him feel uncomfortable… it was almost like he never even experienced this kind of thing with his parents much. But he wasn't saying anything to oppose it… and we're so open to each other… he must _not_ mind it…

Either way… I loved this experience. Because it was definitely successful in calming **me** down.

Jenrya was still speechless, but finally he seemed to give in to the comfort, and soon his own arms were around me. He must've known he wasn't the only one who's been overly stressed out lately… I desperately needed my own reassurance, I realized. And Jen didn't fail to deliver that; with a meaningful squeeze of a hug, he brought my body even closer to his own… and from such a good feeling, I couldn't help but fall limp onto his chest, practically attaching myself to him, not wanting either of us to end this position anytime soon. Not only must this have been soothing and relaxing for the both of us, but it was also keeping us warm! The body heat created from the contact of our two bodies was amongst the most wonderful I ever indulged in. And when Jenrya pressed me against him once more with a friendly squeeze, I was suddenly feeling a little overwhelmed. But it was in a… good way. Another pleasured sigh escaped my slightly gaping mouth… my head resting under his chin, yet over his neck. Since my own chin was pressed against his olive-toned skin… I could feel him sensing the movement of my mouth. So suddenly he paused… and peered down at me. Obviously he wanted to know if everything was all right, but couldn't seem, still, to say the words actually asking that.

Then again, we didn't _need_ words. Our own body language was how we communicated the best, I learned.

The best response I could give my best friend was to look straight at him; with the happiest, most satisfied eyes I could muster… and smile. That seemed to be enough for him. He smiled back in return… somehow the smile wasn't as casual as mine, but at that time I couldn't be bothered by it. Nothing could trouble me now. As long I was like this…

Various thoughts were going through my head like crazy…

_'Why did we never do this before…? If only I knew how… **right** this would've felt… all this time…'_

Finally it occurred to me that Terriermon was still on this boat with us… and I wondered what he would say about it. W… what _would_ he think? It wasn't what he'd think it was… no… he exaggerates everything. This is completely normal… even though he wouldn't think so.

I gave a short glance to the front of the boat just to make sure where he was, and unsurprisingly enough, he was still sitting where he sat when we first came out to the lake. And he had not yet ceased to scratch on the boat, even after Jenrya ordered him to stop a while ago. There were wooden splinters all over the place now, where a small chunk of the edge of the boat was missing. Heh… kind of like a cat without a scratching post…

Another epiphany hit me; I suddenly didn't **care** what Terriermon thought about us. I was still as serene and tranquil as ever… clung to Jen, with him securing me in place. It was nice… Jen may be somewhat of a geek most of the time, but his martial arts training made him anything but a weakling. And to be held with strong, supportive arms like this… it made me feel protected; safe from anything threatening in this world.

Now I was definitely sure I didn't want this moment to end.

All this time though, it felt as if Jen and I were connected. It was kind of like Biomerging except… not like it at all. It was strange… and wonderful at the same time. Jenrya and I felt as if we were one being, though… our breathing patterns at this point were in sync with each other; our pulses following suit. Both of us were around the same body temperature, and each time one of us moved, the other would move as well. We could sense what was going on within our bodies… right down to every miniscule twitch of our fingers. Every swallow, every blink of the eye…

That's why I could sense Jenrya suddenly straightening out and therefore ending this moment soon. I wanted to beg him mentally not to… but I figured there had to be a reason why he'd break this heavenly embrace apart.

Dazed and only partly coherent, I moved away from Jen as he fully straightened up to look to what I was just looking at: Terriermon. … See? We really were connected…

"Terriermon," his voice came out clearly, and sharply as it ever did when he was about to reprimand someone. Almost as if our moment never happened.

Terriermon met the call with a giant, evil grin. "Yes? Did I interrupt you…?"

"**Stop scratching to boat to pieces!**" he shouted with a VERY sudden hint of anger in his tone.

Enough anger to send me scooting away, that was for sure. Terriermon just sweatdropped as he felt the emotional moment we just had just literally fall down and crash into pieces. Somehow, I don't think he _meant_ to do that…

"Come ON, Jen!" Terriermon protested. "I can't help it! I was all hyped up earlier today thinking I'd get to scratch up all the furniture in the house! And now that I don't get to, I've had it on the brain this entire time! Only I know it's not good to just scratch on you, so now here's harmless wood! I just HAVE to scratch it, Jen! PLEEEASE!"

"That's **NOT** our boat," Jenrya spat. "If they find out we damaged festival property, they'll probably make us pay for it!"

Terriermon sweatdropped again and looked to the massive shredding he did. "I really wish you would've told me that before I started."

In frustration, Jenrya smacked his fist against the side of the boat, which almost looked painful… as he cursed at his realization. I just continued to be intimidated by him.

"God, could this festival get any worse?!" Jenrya complained. "A miserable ride to it, being betrayed by my sister **and** Ruki to go on this pointless Tunnel of Love rip-off, and now I'm going to have to pay a fee for something I didn't do!"

"Moumantai!" Terriermon advised his partner, laid-back as ever. "Just tell 'em you didn't do it! Say it was like this when we boarded! How could they prove you're lying?"

"It doesn't matter!" Jenrya insisted, folding his arms and turning away from the direction of Terriermon. "The fact remains that you never listen to me until you find out there are consequences of not doing so."

I think even Terriermon was getting freaked out by how quick Jenrya was to change emotions. Minutes ago he was so peaceful… and now he's an erupting volcano.

"Jeeen," Terriermon pleaded, but not in a serious manner. "Since when has this been an issue before?"

"Terriermon, 'before' no longer matters. We're not on speaking terms anymore. So stop scratching the boat and do something else."

Terriermon obeyed, but he was just giving Jenrya odd looks in return. I felt like doing the same, but I knew that wouldn't help anything. With a shrug, Terriermon hopped down to the bottom of the boat to find anything relatively amusing for his short attention span.

All of a sudden I felt reluctant to talk to Jen. This was terrible… we understood each other so well. And one little blow-up suddenly ruined it all for us. Once again, he was cooped up with one side to himself, folding his arms, hunching his back over, shivering, and glaring at nothing in particular. … I hated this. I couldn't stand seeing him so unhappy. But as luck would have it, reality started seeping back through my mind… and something all of a sudden didn't feel right. And it wasn't something about Jen or Terriermon.

Oh… no.

"J… Jen?" I uttered nervously, looking at the lake surrounding me rather than Jen himself. "Jen?"

Returning the favor, Jenrya refused to look at me. "_What?_"

That cold, unfriendly 'What' seemed to pierce through my heart very, very painfully. …As much as it hurt, I forced myself to ignore it.

"I think there's something wrong…"

Now he was looking at me. "What do you mean?"

I looked from my side to his side of the boat… back to mine, returning to his… over and over… I looked to the front… I looked to the water behind us… and I was for SURE we were screwed now.

"… Didn't we have oars…?"

Jenrya's eyes shot **WIDE** open. I was willing to bet anything he just noticed he didn't have his oar with him. And we WERE paddling all this time… and yet, I was without my oar too. They weren't under our feet like they were when we first boarded. Needless to say, they weren't anywhere in our boat, and looking out to the water, it was so dark… we must've gone so far since whatever point where we lost them… we didn't see them.

They were just plain _gone_.

You know, now all of a sudden I wondered what became of them when Jen and I first embraced. … Ooh, crud.

"Uh, Takato…" It was Jen. Sounding nervous. Like he just discovered something else that I didn't want to hear of.

"Yeah…?"

Jen tried to wait as long as he could to say what he intended to say. With a painful swallow and cringe, he peered at our surrounding full of solitude.

"Weren't we originally on a trail…?"

Double crud.

"W-what do you mean?" I asked, panicking slightly. I started frantically looking around for the lined trail of buoy balls that so un-neatly kept everyone on a set track. And to my displeasure, I did not see _one_. "We were just on the trail! Since when did we come off it?"

Jenrya was doing the same thing I was doing, but obviously wasn't getting any better findings than me. "I don't know! I didn't think you could ride past them! I mean, they're spaced out enough to let a boat through, but…" He flailed. "I have a better sense of direction than that!!"

"You can't have any sense of direction at all if you're not paying attention to what you're doing," I calmly informed. "Not that I'm saying it's your fault, but… OH MY GOD!!" Who was I fooling? I was as scared as he was! "Jen, we're LOST!"

Seeing me spaz out like this seemed to make Jenrya only want to do it with me. But _someone_ had to be calm here! We'd be stuck here forever if we all just went crazy.

"D… don't be silly, Takato… we're not that lost… I'm sure couples ride out of the trail boundaries all the time just to _really_ be alone!" He assured, though even he could tell, obviously, he had no idea of what he was talking about.

I didn't see any oars out on the lake… I didn't see any trance of a buoy ball… so I sure as hell did NOT see other boats on the horizon. There was no reason to believe this.

"So just where **are** they, Jen?"

Jenrya turned red in frustration as he formed shaking fists. "I… I don't know!" he stammered. "But if we found someone, they could show us back to the trail!"

I could just feel this situation becoming more desperate by the second. "Jen, we don't have the oars. We're sitting ducks out here! There's no way we can move!"

"I **KNOW** that!" Jen shouted back, though obviously he was a lot less willing to admit our doom than I was. "I guess all we can do is just sit here and wait for someone to find us somehow…"

I slumped, feeling very ill now. "You think someone will find us eventually…?"

"They'll have to, once they find one of their boats missing," Jenrya replied, still keeping an eye out for anyone on the lake to pass by them. "We just have to hang in there until we are found…"

A cold breeze blew past us just then, making us shiver. It was cool beyond comfort now. In other words, it was getting too cold. The warmth of having Jen's body close to mine would fix that for sure… but somehow… I had a feeling he was in no mood for hugging right now. And I couldn't really blame him, but… I was suddenly feeling **extremely** cold. There was nothing else I could do.

While Jenrya kept a lookout for any possible passerby, I looked back over to where Terriermon was, because he was remotely quiet about this situation. That was very much unlike him. However, Jen was still mad at him… but Terriermon's more stubborn than this. He wasn't sitting at the bottom of the boat anymore, which oddly looked darker than it used to be. … I couldn't even see my feet now. Terriermon was back on our level, near the front of the boat, his back turned towards us, and he seemed to be occupied with something. There's no telling what unless I asked him… and for lack of anything better to do except to freeze, I decided to talk to him, since that eerily seemed like a better idea than talking to Jen.

"Hey, Terriermon…" I said, trying to sound at my very best, innocent and undemanding. "It's not like you to not say anything."

Terriermon didn't turn back to me. "Eh, Jen said we're not on speaking terms. I figure by that point it's meant I said the wrong thing, did the wrong thing, or just plain talked too much. He acts like I've done all three, so usually if I keep quiet he'll forgive me."

Ah, poor Jen and Terriermon. It's odd how they can be so… opposite sometimes. "Well, did you have any ideas about what we should do? I mean… we're kinda stranded out here…"

Out of nowhere, I felt a chill run up my spine. It was getting uncomfortably cold now… and I wanted out SO bad. I didn't understand, though… it wasn't that late into the autumn yet. This was an unseasonably cold night we were experiencing. I could tell I wasn't the only one; Jen was openly shivering as well.

"Not particularly," Terriermon answered with a nonchalant shrug. He turned around to face me, where I could see what he was finally toying with.

Not surprisingly, he found something else to satisfy his scratching cravings on. This time, it was an unusually large cork. Made out of… whatever corks are made of… and Terriermon was clearly having fun, sticking in one claw at a time, sharpening or doing SOMETHING, and then occasionally scratch at it.

But I guessed it was all right. It was a lot more harmless than taking it out on the whole boat. Heh, the boat could've gotten unbalanced and sunk!

… Where did Terriermon get that cork? I asked him just that.

"If you think it belongs to those corporate bastards who run the festival, you're **wrong!**" Terriermon clarified with a humorous glare. "I claimed it! And they can't have it back!"

"Terriermon, you shouldn't take things from people," I said with a laugh. That laugh stopped when I felt another chill coming on. Then I just curled up the most I possibly could in a sitting upright position. "Really, which stand did you take it from? The shooting gallery?"

"Nah," Terriermon dismissed with the wave of a paw. "It didn't occur to me to steal things until we got on this ride. This is from the boat."

One more chill coursed through my body. My eyes widened. My feet got even colder, so I decided to adjust them in some manner… any manner to make them warmer.

I heard a splash in the process. I almost didn't want to look down. But I had to… and…

There was… _water_ in the bottom of the boat… a considerable amount of it.

Jenrya looked over to me. "What was that?" He… heard it too.

"Jen," I whined nervously… sitting as straight as I possibly could. "Is the boat supposed to _sink_ like this…?" And the boat, indeed, had been sinking very slowly this whole time.

Jenrya looked to the bottom of the boat and noted the presence of the water. The cold, agonizing, freezing water had practically covered our ankles.

"Oh my **god**," Jenrya sputtered, as if he was out of breath. "How… how did this happen?"

There was no time to explain. "TERRIERMON! You have to put that cork back wherever you found it!!"

"A cork?" Jenrya was aghast. "Are the boats really that cheap?"

I REALLY don't think that's important right now, Jen…

Terriermon looked up in surprise from our shouting… startled for once.

"Yeah?" He asked. Shaken a little himself, Terriermon was… because our shouting accidentally seemed to have made him cut the cork in half while he was sharpening a claw on it. …The cork silently fell into two halves on Terriermon's paw.

Emotionally panicked, I knew not what else to do other than to stand and loom over Terriermon. "OH MY GOD!! WHY DID YOU DO THAT?"

… This was a very retarded thing to do. All that weight brought the boat down even more, making water flow in gratuitously from the sides. The boat sunk completely, just below the surface of the water.

Terriermon wisely jumped before any of the water could hit him, and landed on Jenrya's head. Jenrya, who was still sitting all this time, found himself suddenly submerged in water up to his chest. I stumbled a bit, but could still stand, as the boat was still under my feet even though it was completely under the water. But I was in the freezing lake just as much as the others, from the waist down. … I couldn't bring myself to move.

But all of us could scream.

Jenrya, also overcome with panic, stood up along with me, with streams of water pouring out of his drenched kimono. This only made the boat go deeper into the water… deep enough to the point where it sunk beyond where our feet could touch. So without any warning, the boat slipped away from us, causing Jenrya and I to fall back into the water where it went up to our necks.

The boat re-emerged shortly, but it was upside-down.

Without any words exchanged, the two of us frantically swam over to the boat and clung to it as tightly as we could. But it was a pretty rounded bottom that the boat had… there really WAS no good area to grip onto. Terriermon climbed off Jenrya's head and mounted the top of the… bottom of the boat. We had a few brief moments of catching our breath from that horrible stroke of bad luck…

"What… the _hell_… was that?" Jenrya cried, coughing by now.

I just couldn't think straight at all. The lake was like being cramped in a freezer _naked_. My legs were desperately swirling around in the water, trying to create SOME form of heat, but to no avail. The fact that my kimono was riding up from all this water wasn't helping, either. …Things were definitely looking grim now.

"Kinda funny you could make a boat sink so easily," Terriermon commented, before looking down at us. "Maybe you should turn the boat over!"

"It'll just sink again!!" I shouted, clearly upset. "What can we do? I'm freezing!!"

"We'll have to find s-something to clog the hole!" Jenrya exclaimed, the extreme cold was beginning to drive him crazy as well. "But we can either do that or just stay in the water, Takato!! You decide on what's better!"

I grumbled, exasperated and way too cold to give anything anymore thought. "Fine! Let's tip it back over, then!"

This wasn't easy to do from the water, though. Not easy at all. I suddenly realized I had little to no lifting strength in my arms when I was swimming. Even with Jen and Terriermon's help, the boat refused to tip over even in the slightest bit. It was like trying to tip over a turtle that weighed a ton.

"This isn't working," I groaned as I squinted my eyes shut, painfully trying my best to ignore the cold eating away at me and focus on what little strength I possessed.

Jenrya, though obviously stronger than me, was wearing down in a matter of time too. "Just don't give up…"

It was about this time when the boat, still upside down, sunk under the water completely.

Words couldn't describe our despair, as Terriermon jumped off at the last minute and back onto Jenrya's head. The boat didn't resurface this time. It continued to sink further and further… and that would be the last time we'd ever see the boat.

We were devastated. Not to mention doomed.

Triple crud!

"… So that's it…" I whispered to my friends. "W-we're sunk. No one's gonna find us now… we don't have a boat to be found in…"

"Don't… don't don't don't…" Jenrya shook his head in agony. "Don't talk about it, Takato! Just DON'T!!"

I sniffed in despair, openly crying now, but unable to force a loud sob out of myself. It was just… way too cold. "Sorry…"

Jenrya coughed out loud again, and it was a particularly nasty cough, mainly because he sunk even further into the water as he took a deep breath to cough, and his mouth wound up full of water causing him to gag a bit. … I really wanted to come over there and comfort him… but he seemed like he was angry at everything now… with good reason.

I couldn't stand to see him like this, though, as I struggled to swim and keep my own head above the water.

"T-Terriermon," I stuttered, momentarily spitting out a bit of water that made its way into my mouth. "Get off Jen's head… he can't take that much weight! Y-You'll… you'll drown him!"

Terriermon looked to me, as he was hard on concentrating on doing his very best not to get wet. "Do you realize how COLD it is in there?! … Well, I guess you do. But you're tough, right Jen?" He playfully knocked him on the head. "You're not gonna drown on me, are ya?"

"I-… I have a better idea," Jenrya forced out from his mouth, shivering intensely, barely able to keep his eyes open because of the freezing, stinging pain. Nonetheless, his hands emerged from the water, and pulled out two very familiar things…

My eyes widened as I paddled harder to remain above the water to clearly see what Jenrya held. "Jen…! You brought…"

His D-Arc. As well as a deck of cards. Both righteously soaked, but other than that, looked the same as we've always used them back in the day…

"I th-thought this would come in handy," Jenrya muttered to himself as he looked through his very damp cards. "I just hope these things still work while they're wet…"

I admired Jen's cleverness when it came to things like these. Only he would bring such things along in case of an unforeseen emergency. "And if they don't…"

"Then we can't say we didn't try!" Terriermon announced as cheerfully as one could in such a dire state. He looked down to his partner again. "So what's the plan, buddy?"

Jenrya winced, looking utterly exhausted. He was now leaning back in the water, tilting his head just slightly so that Terriermon still wouldn't get wet, but mostly this was the purpose for letting his face float against the surface of the water… he was trying to conserve his energy.

He let out a deep sigh before divulging in his plan. "Terriermon, on my mark, I want you to jump off my head into the air. I'm going to use the Hyper Wings card… remember when Takato used that for Guilmon back when we fought IceDevimon?"

"I'm amused you remember that," Terriermon said. "That was **way** back… but of course I remember."

"Well…" Jenrya closed his eyes and coughed once again. "Somehow you'll have to make this last… but when you get the wings, I want you to fly back to the festival, and find someone… our friends, someone official, my sister… just anyone you see first. Find them, and tell them what happened so they can send out some kind of rescue squad out to get us…"

"Anyone?" Terriermon blinked. "Uh, Jen, I dunno if just _anyone_ would have a conversation with me before running away screaming."

Jenrya gritted his teeth… "True. … Right, fine then. Find someone we know who knows about you. I don't care who it is, but tell them Takato and I had to abandon ship and we're stranded out here with no way to get back."

Terriermon looked to the surroundings around him. "It's awfully dark, Jen. And we _are_ lost. Are you sure I could even find the festival? I don't see any lights or nothin'…"

"We can't be **that** far off course," Jenrya interjected. "But it's TORTURE just to be in this lake… I don't think Takato and I could bear to swim all the way to shore. So it's up to you to save us. We'll try and hang in there while you get help. Just… please hurry."

Terriermon turned his gaze to me… as if he wanted me to confirm this plan was going to be used.

I gave a weak nod, my head wearily lolling to the side just like Jen's. "It's the best chance we have, Terriermon. Don't worry… we won't be going anywhere. Just remember what Jen said, and… be as fast as you can." I gave him a small smile, and winked. "Moumantai."

"MOU-MAN-TAI!" Terriermon cheerfully saluted to the both of us. "No point in wasting time, then!"

"Right," Jenrya said with a hint of relief in his voice. "Don't let us down; we're counting on you."

"Just say the word, Jen!"

"Alright, then… GO!"

With that, Terriermon leaped off Jenrya's head and soared high into the sky. When it looked like he was beginning to fall, Jenrya lifted his arms up over his head, the D-Arc firmly gripped in his right hand, with the card of his choice in his left. He performed the Card Slash sequence, obviously without his nifty moves this time around. Now was not the time to show off karate poses.

**"Digi-Modify…! Hyper ****Wings**** activate!!"**

Everything seemed to go as planned; a bright glow shined down upon us where Terriermon was, and when we saw Terriermon's silhouette in the moonlight, he was successfully winged, and having no problems flying at all. We could only slightly hear his voice as he immediately soared off into the unknown.

… And that was that. Terriermon had left in pursuit of our rescuers. He was our only hope.

Things were silent now. I could hear various insects going on about from god-knows-where… and the occasional owl. But that was about it. … It was kind of scary now that Terriermon was gone. We had no gabby companion to laugh at our stupid paranoid fears of various things now. Now it was just us. Me and Jen.

Jenrya himself looked worn down as his arms collapsed back into the water, and he stuffed his D-Arc and cards back into his kimono. He looked over to me momentarily… probably to make sure I was still okay, and leaned back into his upright swimming position, no longer relaxing his back into the unforgiving coldness of the water. Might as well, I suppose… no matter how you swim in it, being in the lake on a cold autumn night will be a living hell for you.

I tried to straighten myself out for Jen in return. And for some reason, I wound up grinning in the process. Either that or I was just baring my teeth just to tell how cold I was. It's needless to say they were chattering; unendingly so. But so were Jen's, so he was no better off than I was. If Terriermon couldn't come through for us, we'd both die for sure…

But I don't want to die… even if I die with Jen…

Thoughts of death… being alone… I couldn't take it anymore. I sluggishly swam over to Jen, as close as I could get to him. From all what's happened, and now something that's put our lives on the line… I needed some more of that reassurance now. This was it; this was the event that would put our friendship to the test. I really needed Jenrya this time. This time… I'd die without him now.

He didn't seem to mind me being so close to him, so he must've been cooled off after his last bout of anger. This made it easier on me. I never wanted to break off the embrace we were in before we just discovered our dilemma. … I felt so warm with him on the boat… and our primary need right now was definitely warmth…

So without saying anything, only letting out a pleading, but very weak sigh… I latched my entire body onto Jenrya's. He was currently no warmer than I was, but with any luck… we could survive this together.

Jenrya greeted this with his own sigh and a smile as he immediately locked himself around me. This felt even more comfortable than last time; if you ignore the frigidness of the water, that is… and it wasn't just our bodies and arms this time that were wrapped around each other. Our waists, down to our legs… and to the very ends of our feet… were intertwined with one another's. I was a bit shorter than Jen, and also smaller… it was really hard to tell just by how much until now.

"… Good idea," Jenrya murmured out of nowhere.

I blinked myself out of my daze, my eyes staring directly into Jen's. "Huh?"

Jenrya graced me with his comforting smile once more. "We'll… b-be able to maintain some body heat if we're together like this. I… It'll buy us s-some… some time…"

It elated me to know he approved of this. I held onto him even tighter than I did before, finally finding some trace of slight warmth from our embrace. …But I really needed more… enough for the both of us.

The warmth we had, though… I was beginning to think about things again. How could I have waited so long to get to Jen like this? If I only had done it sooner… I think it would've solved a lot of problems in our life. What if he wasn't a part of my life? Where would I be now…?

… Riding the boat with some _other_ random guy, that's where I'd be.

There was no denying how much I enjoyed this embrace, though. If Hirokazu and the others found out about this, they'd never let me live it down. But that's okay, because they don't have to know what Jenrya and I do. No one really does have to know. Maybe they'd never understand. All I knew was… I didn't want to imagine life without my best friend.

I was certain now that Jenrya Lee would be my closest companion. No friend of mine, no romantic interest, no member of my family could compare to what Jenrya and I share between each other. I was absolutely **sure**.

My head was lying against Jenrya's shoulder now, exhausted and desiring a rest. I still looked back to Jen through the corner of my eye, seeing the profile of his face, and still spotting the same lovely smile on his lips.

… Then another feeling was plowing through my insides. No telling what… but…

I felt like I was between a cross of being ultimately happy and ultimately wanting to die.

I was right on the borderline of each spectrum. My head was feeling light and dizzy… despite the fact that I was freezing to death, I was actually sweating. I was feeling short-winded, and suddenly I found it painful and laborious to just breathe. Something deep in my stomach wanted to erupt very badly, and from that, my dreaded nerves came back to cause me pain once again. My throat was feeling swollen… and something was threatening to come up, though I wasn't sure what. The surroundings around me began to spin in my head… it was hurting to even think now… Thinking, thinking… ah… thinking is ow…

But last… and far from least… ow…

My heart was beating at an **extremely** rapid pace. I could feel it and hear it thumping violently in my chest… my chest seemed to move from the force of it… almost like it was trapped and wants out… ow, but…

Wh… Wha… What _was_ it? What was this I was feeling…? What is it?

Other than feeling like I was going to throw up… I was feeling **something** else. But what…

Ow, ow, ow…

* * *

( POV – Nobody )

* * *

Jenrya was no longer smiling when he noticed Takato was beginning to falter. It hadn't been _that_ long since Terriermon left. Was Takato already succumbing to his frozen fate? 

"Takato…?" He called out in a very slight whisper. "How're you holding up?"

"J… Jen…"

To shorten the suffering, Jenrya pulled Takato's face up to his level, more or less forcing Takato to look at him. "What is it? Do you not feel well?"

In a few short labored breaths, Takato was able to force out his response. "I-I'm… just… f-fine…"

It was apparent that Jenrya wasn't convinced. Not when Takato looked like this much of a wreck. "You don't have to act like you can withstand it," He assured. "Just tell me what's wrong… is it getting too cold for you?"

As if it wasn't getting too cold for Jenrya himself. Both boys had been long since perpetually shivering. Jenrya was unable to keep his teeth from chattering, and he could literally feel the color draining away from his face with each and every second passing. But he was determined not to fall victim to this cold water until help arrived. It was the least he could do for Takato, so he thought.

Takato made hasty little half-nods, trying his very best to speak coherently. "But it's… but it's…"

"D-don't panic, Takato!" Jenrya ordered. "You're only m-making it worse for yourself!"

"Don't-panic, d-don't panic don't panic," Takato repeated, whining in pain every single time he said it. "Jen…"

Jenrya looked scared as he clung to Takato to the best of his ability. "W-what? What _is_ it…?"

Takato leaned over his friend, as if he just slung his whole body on Jenrya's shoulder. This was not making it easy for Jenrya to keep his face above the water. "W-what if, what if…"

Jenrya paused from his struggling. "What if…?"

Takato found himself able to change his position, finally. He leaned away from Jenrya, taking the weight off him and therefore easily letting him rise to the surface as normally. Takato then **barely** swam (and more like floated) to the back of Jenrya, where he re-attached himself. Looping his arms around Jenrya's chest, his upper and lower torso right up against the length of Jenrya's back, and his legs, raised a bit with the help of the water, wrapped tightly around Jenrya's waist.

This wasn't weighing Jenrya down any more than his last two positions, so that didn't bother him. What did bother him seemed to be… something else…

"What if… wh-what if they don't find us?" Takato finally blubbered out in a frustrated cry. "What if… Terriermon d-doesn't find help in time…? What if… if we freeze… what if we die out here…?"

Like that possibility hadn't gone through Jenrya's mind the second they lost the oars.

"J-just don't think about it," Jenrya urged, feeling pained as he did so, because he knew he couldn't blame Takato for feeling this hopeless. He honestly had no idea how long he and Takato could possibly last out in the lake and escape with, as a possible minimal effect, pneumonia. "We-We… can't lose faith in Terriermon."

Takato's face rubbed against the back of Jenrya's neck. The slick, yet soft coldness pressed against Jenrya's own freezing skin gave him some sort of odd sensation. They were both freezing as it was, so the stinging pain of the cold was minimal. Suddenly, Takato rose up a bit in his position and leaned over, so he could get a clearer view of Jenrya's face again.

Jenrya himself could only float in the water, and stare.

"I… d-don't want to die," Takato squeaked in what had to be his most pitiful, helpless voice ever. "I wa… want to be with…w-with you…"

"Y… You're with me," was all Jenrya could think of saying. He let out a small gasp when Takato's face inched nearer to his own… and soon their cheeks had come in contact with each other. Honestly, Jenrya had no idea what was going on, but it was safe for him to assume that Takato was very delirious now. But he didn't want to upset the emotionally unstable Takato… what good would it do? The best he could do was to not interrupt Takato in how he was coping with his fear. Their cheeks rubbing against one another… Takato gasping at Jenrya's sides… and poor Jenrya even made sure to comfort Takato when his lips were against his ears…

All Jenrya could hear were Takato's labored breathing patterns. Each breath sounding like it was Takato's last.

Just by listening to this… hearing Takato's life falling through his own fingers pulled at his heartstrings like mad. Relentlessly, hurting him and yet making him feel wonderful all at the same time. He couldn't help but think… Takato had very beautiful breathing sounds.

Jenrya frantically looked around for something, **anything** that would suffice as a reprieve from their unending frozen torture. He did so in a manner not to stir Takato from exploring… but as Jenrya looked far off to a side, he saw something dark not too far off in the distance.

It seemed solid… so it could be a large piece of litter…

… Or maybe it was land.

Jenrya's gray eyes, silvery-toned in the moonlight, widened at the possibility of…

The L-Word.

LAND!!

* * *

( POV – Nobody )

* * *

This whole thing of Ruki narrowing her eyes at the request of something from 'Kazu was becoming a constant thing now, everyone started to realize. 

Yes, much to Ruki's dismay, Ryo and Hirokazu had recovered from the evil ride of torment and reunited with their friends once more. No one was worried about their two missing members, however: Ruki had proudly boasted her partnership with Jaarin that forced Jenrya to be on the romantic boat ride with some girl he didn't even know. As for Takato, well…

"He can take care of himself," Kenta claimed. "He's our leader, after all. I'm sure he's got something funny planned up for us; that's why he doesn't want anyone to find him."

"Is that so?" Juri asked.

"If you can come up with a better excuse, feel free to say it," Kenta challenged. Ever since he won his Bag-O-Yen, he had refused to let go of it. When Hirokazu asked for some change, Kenta just gave him a very threatening glare.

Money's a precious thing, you know.

Anyway, the peak of the festival was just now coming up. Hirokazu was just full of ideas on how to live it up and party until they dropped from this point on.

"PARTY TIME!!" Hirokazu screeched in delight. "LET'S DO IT!"

It was no mystery; he was hyped on the caffeine badly.

"It's too cold," Ruki complained. "Those are best saved for the summer festivals."

"Oh, **COME ON!!**" Hirokazu shouted. "I miss the summer! There was no school! It was warm! We could go on vacation! No school! I could stay up as late as I wanted! Hang out with my friends! No school! And I also didn't have to go to school!"

"A party in memorial of the summer, huh?" Juri noted with a giggle. She held her malevolent puppet up. "We will be pleased, because parties are full of _sinful _pleasure!"

Ruki looked increasingly annoyed. "Yes, it's Let's-All-Go-Against-Ruki's-Logic Day. Let's all go do the stupid festivities…"

"It's something to do," Kenta pointed out. "As long as nobody touches my money!"

Ryo smiled and stretched out a bit. "It's been a while since I busted a move."

Ruki gave Ryo a look. "You'd call that busting a move?"

"Eheheh!"

"Repulsive," Ruki muttered. "Do whatever you guys want, then!"

"Oh, come on!" Juri urged her friend. "Why don't you try it? It'll be fun!"

Ruki snarled in rejection. "That sounds like something my **mother** would force me to do."

"But we're not your mom!" Hirokazu said with a grin. "We're your friends!"

"I **KNOW** that!"

"Just do what we do!" Hirokazu instructed, standing up on an empty stage they had been next to the whole time. "Now, if I had some music…"

"OH YEAH!" A boom box was presented on the premises. The owner: Jaarin Lee.

"I thought you had to work?" Ruki recalled in confusion.

Jaarin smiled. "I got a break! So what's this I'm hearing about? Party in the middle of a festival?"

"Just hit the play button," Hirokazu ordered with a wink. "And I'll lead off!"

A familiar little creature suddenly flew into a tree, though less-than-gracefully. The wings on Terriermon's back dispersed, and Terriermon himself thudded to the ground. Everyone was too riled up by the idea of a party starting to really notice the crash-landing, however. It was lucky for Terriermon to land so close to his friends: it meant less time to waste finding them.

Terriermon sat up, not fully recovered from his blow to the head on that unfortunate tree. He rubbed his bruise and turned to the area where he heard a lot of noise and commotion going on; that's what his large, sensitive ears heard first. He started standing up and moaned a bit, because the noise of the increasing size of the crowd was frankly giving him a headache.

He had half a mind to go over there and tell them to Shut the Hell Up, but then he looked down to the ground, as he noticed upon his impact he had caused something to fall. It was originally hanging from the tree… It was a fortune.

'Beware of cold weather conditions, or people with a cold disposition.' It read.

Terriermon's grogginess had vanished; he remembered his mission. "… Jen!!" This was, in fact, the fortune he received earlier.

He quickly turned back to the singing and dancing everyone was so attracted to. The idea had caught on so quickly that the music and dancing frenzy was already underway. Beneath the tree Terriermon was in, there was a conveniently-located performance stage. He almost recognized the people on the stage. So of course, he didn't waste any time at all making his way over to the vicinity, edging past the crowd, and headed right for the stage.

No one noticed the tiny Digimon hitting center stage, and it didn't take long for Terriermon to notice that he would need to be a _mite_ more assertive to get everyone's attention. Noticing he had certain tools to work with, Terriermon ended up doing what he planned on doing to begin with:

**"EVERYBODY SHUT THE HELL UP!!!"**

Fear the day Terriermon had gotten a hold of a maximum-volume microphone, because that day had come. Terriermon's screeching, never-ending demand had the crowd either on the floor or running away. And just like that, the only people remaining were the people on the stage; the fellow Tamers plus Jaarin.

Shuichon blinked a couple of times before this all sunk into her. "…TERRIERMON!!" Instantly enamored, she made a beeline right towards her brother's Digimon.

"**NOT** now," Terriermon snarled back impatiently. "Not now, not ever!"

Ryo blinked as well, scratching his head in confusion. "What're you ticked off about, Terriermon? That's not like you."

"Hey, where's Jen?" Jaarin asked right away. "Jenrya would be crazy to leave you all alone!"

"What's going on, Terriermon?" Juri asked, trying to be as nice as she could, despite the fact that Terriermon could have very well made them deaf at this very young age.

"Th… there's no time to really explain it!" Terriermon wailed frantically, tossing the microphone aside. "Jenrya and Takato are in **big** trouble, and we need to help them!"

"What?" Ruki seemed a bit enraged. "_Now_ what did they do?"

Terriermon just shook his head and motioned for everyone to follow him. "I can't tell you the full story right now, but it's a BIG emergency! We're talking life or death! Jaarin, you need to tell me where the rescue crew is! They're our only hope!"

A sharp, stinging pain had just struck Jaarin in the heart. … Something happened to her little brother…

"Of course. … Right away!"

* * *

( POV – Takato )

* * *

There was honestly no way to tell if sitting on the land was doing better for us or worse. It was good not to work to keep my head above the water, at least… and somehow, Jen had me calmed down enough to a point where I could act remotely sane again. It didn't hurt so much to think now… but I couldn't keep this up for much longer… 

Where in the _hell_ was Terriermon? What has it been, forty minutes?

I looked over to Jen, who was sitting a distance away from me. I don't know what I did to make him do that, but… maybe I did something to make him uncomfortable. … He was still shivering nonetheless. The distinct tone of his skin seemed to have vanished now. He looked just as pale as I did. This wasn't good… even if we did make this out alive, we'd have a damn good chance of dying later…

"J-J-J-Je… Je-en…?" I choked out, holding onto myself as tightly as I could make myself. "Ah-… Ah-… A-are you-u… a-ny warm-mer now…?"

This was pitiful, but I couldn't really make myself talk any better than that. I was desperately longing for warmth, and now it seemed like I couldn't get what little I'd find from Jen anymore, since he wouldn't come near me…

Jen hesitated a little bit before he turned to face me. "No-… not… n-… really…"

I looked down at the water sadly. "M-my kimo-.. ono is really c-co-cold."

Jenrya looked down at our reflections in the water. "S-so's mi-mine."

I let out shaky sigh… Jenrya looked back over to me.

"Y-you… think we shoul-ld… take them off?"

That almost immediately made Jenrya scoot even further away from me… but at the last second he declined it and looked to me, trying not to look extremely embarrassed.

"D-do… you… th-thi… think that w-would help…?" he asked me, sounding very uncertain himself. But really, it beats me. It seemed like there was no REAL way of being significantly warmer no matter what you did. Every possibility had a major downside to it.

Not wanting to make our conversation anymore painful and long, I undid my sash and slid out of my kimono, letting the top fall to my waist. I only wanted to experiment, though; I had no intentions of fully stripping down… eh…

Jenrya just stared at me without saying a word as I leaned back on the back with my arms spread out behind me. I let out a sigh, because it was indeed a huge relief that I got rid of those heavy, sagging robes that were weighing me down so much while I was in the lake.

It DID almost seem warmer to have it off…

I didn't think much of Jen watching me, though. I just bathed in the relaxation of having all that weight taken off me. My bare, damp chest glistened in the moonlight; the hues making it look like an extremely pale blue. I looked at my stomach curiously, as, despite this being warmer for me, it wasn't THAT much warmer, and I was still freezing, thank-you-very-much. My chest was moving up and down rapidly… as my breathing was not yet stabilized. Goosebumps had long since covered my body, but their job of holding in my body head was pure crap.

The next time I looked over to Jenrya, my eyes widened as I found him bare-chested as well. He was taking the risk and trying my experiment too. He didn't lean back like me; he only sat up and hunched over, trying to pretend he wasn't looking at me, but any idiot, even I could see through it.

"F… feel better?" I finally asked.

Jenrya took his time to reply, as usual. "… K-kind of."

Right after he said that, a gust of wind whooshed through the area, ruining our peaceful moment of warming up. I fell flatly on my back, while Jenrya just curled up into a ball. It was a **strong** breeze; so much of one that it seemed to have taken what little energy I had left in me. I was stuck here, on my back, my bare back, on a mud bank. The freezing water came in like the tides of a beach… and because it was night, it made me think of high tide. Why me…?

Jenrya crawled over to me, looking worried. "D-did that sc-scare you, Ta-.. Takat-to…?"

I just shook my head, unwilling to speak, and had the greatest desire to close my eyes. What could be taking Terriermon so long…? Didn't he understand that Jen and I were _dying_ out here…? Our lives rested in his hands!

Then again… we _were_ in the middle of nowhere… maybe he's unable to relocate us… which would make our attempts to survive this an absolute waste of time…

Jenrya looked to his D-Arc, his eyes lazy and half-shut… he was beginning to give in to the cold, too. I hear the familiar bleeping of a signal locked on, and afterwards heard Jenrya's heavy sigh as he shut it off.

My eyes were closed now, and I absolutely could not make myself speak words at all. I only made a tiny little inquisitive moan.

"I d-don't think we'll make it, ho-honestly," Jenrya mumbled, doing something I thought he'd never do, and that was leaning over me, resting on his arm that he planted right next to mine. "I'm really sorry about this, Takato …"

I could only wince. What did _he_ have to be sorry for? I came here on accident and he came here because his sister made him. Why was **he** at fault?

Suddenly, Jen picked my limp, freezing body up slightly, cradling it in his arms. A smile tried to form on the corner of my lips; our own bare skin touching… this felt even better than our last embrace.

"J-just… please, don't d-die," Jenrya begged me, rocking me gently to keep my body mobile. "If you fa-fall asleep… tha-that's what'll happen… so… Takato…"

"M'not sleepin'," I forced myself to say. And it took a lot out of me to say that… I didn't understand why falling asleep would make me die, but… I wanted to so much… was death really right around the corner for me…? Edging me to come closer and closer…?

"**YES YOU ARE!!!**" Jenrya practically screamed, almost jolting me awake just from that. "Now STOP it!! I won't le-let you die! I-If you die, I swear t-to God I'll…"

Still keeping my eyes clothes and still trying to look peaceful, a hand of mine shot up and covered Jen's mouth to keep him from talking even more.

"Don't **do** that," I snarled in frustration. "You're wa-wasting your energy… and the-then you'll fall asleep… and die or something…"

Almost like a cue, Jenrya almost completely collapsed over me…

Arm on arm, leg on leg, stomach on stomach, chest on chest… neck on neck…

Face on face.

Though my eyes were still not open… I could just feel Jenrya so dangerously close to me.

I estimated his lips were about an inch away from mine. But I sensed warmth… a weak one, but still discernable warmth emitting from those lips…

I could also feel Jenrya was this close to passing out… parts of his body, one by one, were performing their final collapsing over mine, never to rise again. The familiar feeling I had felt earlier before was firing up in my heart again… was I supposed to do something…?

I think I was…

A bright white light shone in the distance, and I didn't need my sight to see that. I only knew it had to be the grand light of death, seeing an opportunity to take us both and was on its way to do so. It was coming, fast. What would I do…? What are you supposed to do right before you die?

I pursed my lips, and brought them to meet Jenrya's. That's exactly what I did. And with one final lock of our lips… our energy had diminished.

We both had fallen. Our lips never once parted. And the great white light had just then paid us a little visit. Here we go...

I'm gonna carry this weight on the way up, aren't I…?

…

* * *

( TBC ) 


	6. Worrying and Waiting

**( Notes:**

**A very vanilla chapter after the huge one. I think it was this chapter that I exposed all of the pairings or hints for pairings that would show up in this story; naturally, Takato/Juri, Takato/Jenrya, Ruki/Ryo, Ruki/Hirokazu, and Hirokazu/Ryo. By this point, obviously, Hirokazu/Kenta has happened in the past but the two are broken up now. I don't plan on pairing Kenta with anyone in this story, mainly to serve a little plot point I'll get into during a later chapter… but I'll just say for now that I'm using Kenta to represent my **_**own**_** feelings on matters of love.**

**Then there's the repeated mentions of Jenrya/Juri, which is really nothing more than Takato's paranoia, though they do grow to be quite close over time. I guess, perhaps, there may be hintage of Ruki/Juri if you squint, but that's not going to be something I'll elaborate upon here.** **One pairing that definitely **_**won't**_** be explored in this story is Takato/Ruki, which totally set off a lot of people since this story is under the Takato and Ruki filters on this site. But I was always of the opinion that the character filters can just as easily apply for friendship as much as a pairing, and Takato and Ruki will share some friendship bonds over time. Honestly, though… I hate Takato/Ruki as a pairing, so I'd rather be spared the pestering if that's alright with you guys. Anyway, here you go! As a bare bones type of chapter, any changes here will probably not be very noticeable. )**

* * *

( POV – Ruki )

* * *

Why do I have to care so much…? It's so stressful sometimes. At least I didn't have to be in so much pain when I didn't care about anyone. But maybe Renamon taught me that living that way would be no good for me… it did admittedly stunt my emotional growth. It explains why I'm usually cold half the time when I'm with my friends. Being anything else around them just feels so… wrong, now.

I could feel that all the caring was taking its toll on me now. I refused to open my eyes, but I already knew it was morning. The sun was shining through my window and thusly right over my eyes. Would I dare look at the clock…? I knew I'd have to wake up sometime soon. Staying in bed all day will just make it impossible for me to get to bed tonight… and tomorrow would be Monday. School…

I just really didn't want to live this day out. I couldn't. Not after what happened last night.

But what were the chances of Renamon actually letting me sleep any longer? She could probably tell I was faking it… I was just biding my time… bit by bit…

Then again… what kind of friend would I be not to get out of the house today and make sure Takato and Jenrya were okay? They were on the brink of death last night, or at least that's what the doctor said. I never thought much of those two in the past. I still really don't, but I can't help but worry for them… how could someone just… die at such a young age…?

Just seeing their pale, limp bodies last night struck a nerve with me. It made me realize if they _had_ died last night, I never would have been able to apologize to them for all the mean things I've done to them over the years that I knew them. I practically shunned Takato earlier when he gave me a compliment, and I betrayed Jenrya in a way that'd make sure that he'd never ever trust me again. It doesn't help that this all could've possibly been my fault. It **was** my and Jaarin's plan to have Jenrya to ride that boat in the first place…

I promised I wouldn't beat myself up over it until we were sure on what happened. There were still a lot of unanswered questions when we all retreated to our homes last night. And I wouldn't know these answers until I went and visited the boys myself. I just wanted to cringe at the thought of seeing them again… so cold and limp, and practically lifeless. I'd never seen ANYONE like that before… and now that I have… it must've made me realize just how thin the barrier of life and death really is.

And I've been so careless with that barrier in my childhood…

"Ruki," came my long-loathed wake-up call. "If you stay in bed any longer, you'll miss breakfast. And you'll need to sustain your energy if you're planning to make use of your day."

I was too shaken and guilt-ridden to argue with my partner right now. So I sat up and rubbed my eyes. "What time is it…?"

"It's almost eleven," Renamon indicated, pointing to a nearby clock. "And you've gotten many calls this morning already."

Shaking the hair out of my face, I made a low grumble. "I know; I heard the phone several times…"

Renamon just looked sharply at me. "All of your friends have been up hours ago. They'd like it if you'd join them. This is just my opinion, Ruki… but I think you're very much needed at this time."

"I won't abandon them," I promised. "Not at a time like this…"

Renamon just nodded, closing her eyes. "Good. You haven't forgotten what's happened…"

"I was hoping it was just some nightmare…"

"I wished it was," Renamon sympathized. "How could such a horrible incident happen to such good children who've saved the world?"

By now I've pulled myself fully out of my bed, and was heading to my closet to get dressed. "Guess it's how life goes sometimes… the worst things can happen to the best people no matter what the circumstance. I just hope they're still alive now." My eyelids still felt heavy; I obviously didn't sleep well last night. "I couldn't forgive myself if they actually died from this…"

"I have a feeling," Renamon said hopefully. "That they won't give up so easily. But to prevail through their obstacles, they'll need you here for them. Believe in them, Ruki… I know it's not easy for you, but…"

"I can do that," I assured to her. "I just… wish something like this didn't have to happen just to show me how much I actually care."

"Just don't forget this event," Renamon advised. "And you'll surely learn something in the long run from it all."

"Yeah…" I had finished dressing. My overly tense nerves had effectively made me lose my appetite, but I supposed that it wasn't good to go off without eating. There was no sense in starving myself like models do. "You're coming with me, right?"

Renamon turned to me. "I'll be right behind you."

I gave a silent nod in acknowledgment. We proceeded out of my room and to the kitchen. There was already a plate of a considerably small breakfast set out on the table with a vacant chair. My mother and grandmother were sitting on the other side of the table, both drinking coffee, and had been conversing with each other until they noticed my presence. To this, their chat went into an uncomfortable silence.

Someone had to break the ice; might as well be me. "… Good morning."

"I kept reheating your breakfast…," My mom said distantly. "So it wouldn't get cold…"

I looked directly to her, nodded, and sat down to start eating. Renamon continued to walk until she was right behind me. "Sorry I took my time waking up…"

Grandma just shook her head, looking more distressed than she should be, I thought… "We had a feeling you'd want some extra sleeping time, after all the hysteria from last night."

"Thanks," I mumbled, eating quickly, but rather unenthusiastically. "Thanks for staying calm despite all this… the other parents were kind of freaking out last night…"

"We're just glad nothing happened to you," mother explained. "I don't even want to think about how it'd be around here if it was you in this position…"

Grandma expression-wise was trying her very best to keep a calm, straight face. "You'll tell us what happened when you find out, won't you?"

"I will," though I wasn't very eager to do this at all… there are just some things I _had_ to do sometimes. Looking down at my plate, I realized that I'd been eating my food at an incredibly slow pace, and I was already full. "I guess I should get going soon, though."

Mom nodded to me solemnly. "Yes, your friends really need you right now for moral support…"

"Take your breakfast with you," Grandma suggested. "I can tell by the way you look that you don't seem to be hungry right now… but still, it's a good idea to eat something, especially since you'll be out for a while."

"Good idea," I sighed, and started scraping most of my breakfast into a carryout box. "Sorry; I think last night sort of made me lose my appetite…"

"We understand," mother said quietly. "I just pray those boys are safe…"

Forcibly, I made myself stand up and walk towards the front door, with Renamon closely behind.

"There's only one way to find out," Renamon noted. "Don't worry; if we need anything, we'll be sure to give you both a call."

Grandma looked up to Renamon. "We'll be here all day."

"See you guys later, then," I said, intentionally trying to use as little emotion possible to choke that out as I stepped into the outside world…

It was so cold last night. So, so cold… none of us even realized how cold it really was until we were out on the lake ourselves. With all that in perspective, it was hard to think about how Takato and Jenrya possibly dealt with this for an extended period of time. We were almost sure they wouldn't make it when we did end up finding them… it must've been a true miracle for the both of them to survive.

The bitter, biting cold air was gone now, thankfully. Everything was bright, temperate, and overall comfortable. As well as it should be; it's close to noon now. This made things a little easier, I guess…

Shutting the door after Renamon made her way out; I began to walk onto the long path, all of a sudden realizing something.

"Um… Renamon?"

"Yes, Ruki?"

"I just… I," cringing, I looked away. "I sort of chickened out last night… I left before everyone else did…"

"You were just a bit upset and emotionally distraught," Renamon explained coolly. "Everyone was, I imagine. You mustn't be ashamed of that."

"It's not that," I insisted. "I just… because I was the first one to leave, I didn't get to see what became of them. Are… are Takato and Jenrya still in the hospital?"

"I don't think so," said Renamon. "According to the calls this morning, they were able to stabilize the two well enough to where it would only take some extensive care at home to nurse them back to health. So there was really no point for either of them staying at the hospital; they should both be at their respective homes."

"Are you sure…?"

Renamon closed her eyes. "Well, it's the best one can assume when one set of people claim they're watching over Takato, and the other set watching over Jenrya."

"Good point," I admitted. "So… um, who's watching who, now?"

"Let's see… Ryo and Hirokazu said they would watch over Takato, so that means Kenta and Juri are at Jenrya's house."

I paused just then, waiting for this to process in my mind. Did I _really_ want those Rooster Heads' company when I'm like this…?

Immediately, I started to walk in another direction, Renamon following closely behind.

"Why did you switch paths, Ruki…?"

"This is the way to Jenrya's house, isn't it?" I asked rhetorically. "Come on, we're paying him a visit."

* * *

( POV – Nobody )

* * *

Things had never been quieter in the Lee household than now. Even Shuichon was respectfully calm in the event of what happened to her big brother. Speaking of Jenrya, he never had woken up since he was found unconscious with Takato last night. No one even bothered questioning why Jenrya had been found collapsed completely over his best friend, and it was certain that even now, no one cared about that detail. Both he and Takato were in a critical condition upon reaching the hospital, so it was quite fortunate that Jaarin and the others found them when they did. Overwhelmed with concern, Jaarin had acquired a searchlight somehow, and its brilliant white trail was a great help in locating the two boys.

It wasn't until the very early hours of the morning that Jenrya and Takato were released from the hospital, to finish their recovery in the comfort of their own homes. Jenrya's family greatly empathized on the 'comfort' part of the doctor's order. He practically had five blankets draped over his body, covering everything except for his head. One of the blankets was electric, the heater was turned on nearly to full blast for the night, and Jenrya's window in his room was very well shut; no cold air would be _touching_ his room, that was for sure.

Thankfully, according to plan, Jenrya was recovering well, albeit slowly. With him and Takato out of commission, only Terriermon would've had the ability to tell the others exactly what happened last night. However, a flight across the lake, a frantic attempt to gather everyone up to rescue Takato and Jenrya, and a hectic ride back out on the lake was clearly taking a toll on Terriermon's own health by the time they were heading for the hospital. As a result, he fell soundly to sleep as the doctor was making his report. Now he had awakened, fully back to health and calmed down, but as much as he'd like to be with his partner in his time of need, it wasn't possible, for the minute he woke up and was informed of the situation currently, Terriermon was obligated to tell the entire situation to the family, and let this mystery rest once and for all.

Kenta and Juri, both arriving around 8:00 or so, agreed to keep a constant eye over Jenrya if he happened to recover at any time today. The idea of just sitting in his bedroom for the entire Sunday might've seemed like the waste of their last free day before school tomorrow, but at this point, nobody cared. The well being of Jenrya was the top priority with them, as Takato's was with Hirokazu and Ryo. No one was going to leave until they were sure their friends would be okay… or at the very least, wake up.

Staring hard at Jenrya, Kenta let out a small sigh. Many things were going through his mind right now, and having a situation like this on his mind all the time was a feeling he could easily do without.

"It's kind of weird…"

Juri broke her own gaze at Jenrya and brought it to Kenta. "Weird?"

"It's not important," Kenta assured sullenly. "I just… kind of find it weird…"

"I don't understand," said Juri. "What's so weird…?"

"Well… it's just that," Kenta paused for a moment, trying to find the right words to express himself. "Jen's always been such a quiet guy. He observed us way more than he ever did actually speak to us… but for some reason it's kind of… uncomfortably weird that he's so quiet now. I mean… he's not doing _anything_."

Juri sadly looked back to Jenrya. "I know what you mean. He looks peaceful right now… but it just feels so… wrong."

"It could possibly be the fact that if we'd gotten him and Takato to the doctor any later, we'd be seeing Jenrya the exact same way we are now… but he'd be in a **casket** instead of a bed." Kenta sounded grim on the later part of his sentence, but simply just saying that made him flinch.

Juri's own features were looking increasingly disturbed; this own train of thought went through her mind before. "Don't… don't say that, please…"

Kenta nodded and turned away a bit. "Y-yeah… I mean, neither of them should die right now, anyway. They've been taken care of… they'll wake up…"

Juri looked to the bedroom door, which had been shut since Terriermon had woken up. "I just can't help but wonder how this all _happened_. I mean… I feel bad for making Jen going through that boat ride in the first place. Maybe if I hadn't pressured him, we could've avoided this…." Shaking her head in disbelief, she turned to Kenta. "Are we at fault…?"

"No, of course not!" Kenta assured. Sensing Juri's guilt starting to inflate beyond control, he patted her on the shoulder. "Besides, we still don't know how Takato winded up on the same boat as Jen. We hadn't even _seen_ Takato since… a while back, so who knows how he got mixed up in this. But how were we to know that the stupid bet Jaarin made would've caused this?"

"I guess…"

Kenta frowned a little. "If you have to pin the blame on anybody for Jenrya's case, do it to Ruki and Jaarin; they're the ones who made the plan to begin with."

"I don't want to blame anybody," Juri clarified, suddenly feeling a headache coming on. "I still believe this was all entirely an accident… Ruki and Jaarin are sorry for what they did; I could see it in their faces, Kenta…"

"Maybe so," said Kenta. "But I have a feeling regardless of how sorry they are, they're going to tear themselves apart because of this."

Juri nodded in agreement. "I hope Ruki comes soon… have you even seen Jaarin yet this morning?"

"Not that I recall," Kenta replied sadly. "I think Rinchei said something about her being in the kitchen since 5, though. She's really into catering to Jen as much as she possibly can…"

"I hope that isn't the case, though," Juri mused, by now looking dazed. "I… I hope Terriermon tells us that this was all just an accident, that didn't have anything to do with what Jaarin and Ruki did…"

"It can't be that long of an explanation," Kenta commented, in an attempt to be helpful. He looked over to the door. "He'll let us know just as soon as he's done breaking the news to Jen's parents. But sometime today we'll have to let 'Kazu, Ryo, and Takato's parents know about it too."

"Yeah," Juri agreed, although clearly dreading the time that comes. "But Takato's parents… don't tend to be as calm about these things as Jenrya's are."

"True," Kenta sullenly admitted. "If Takato actually caused this, he's going to get the grounding of a lifetime. Even if he _didn't_ have anything to do with what happened, I have a feeling his mom's going to do anything to reprimand him somehow."

"Well… let's wait a while," Juri suggested, slouching forward even further. "We'll hear Terriermon out, and… maybe we should wait and see if Jen wakes up anytime soon. And maybe his side of the story will clear up some more things…"

Kenta could only sigh. "If he ever wakes up today, that may help…"

As an abrupt end to the conversation, the door of Jenrya's room suddenly squeaked open. And almost painfully so, a hand was gradually coming forward over the edge of the door. Kenta and Juri's attention immediately went to the pale, reluctant hand as more of it came into view, until the rest of the body forced itself entirely into the room.

It was Ruki, no less. Never before, had either fellow Tamer seen her look this guilty. Unwillingly spread over her face, Ruki's sorrow and fear was only summed up in a small choking sound as she acknowledged her friends being in the room already.

She was greeted by a somewhat forced period of silence.

"… Thanks for coming," Juri finally said. "We were about ready to think…"

"… That you wouldn't brave coming to visit again," Kenta finished, making sure to avoid any tone to his voice that would suggest he was kidding.

Ruki sighed and joined her friends to sit down. "I'm not a coward," she said in her own self-defense. "So, how is he?"

"He's recovering, at least," Juri answered, as everyone looked back to their silent, unconscious friend. "Last we've heard, Takato's recovering too. They should be able to make it…"

"Good to know," Ruki commented, nodding. "Any word on how this happened yet…?"

"Terriermon's still finishing up on telling it to Jen's parents. We'll know after they know," Kenta assured. "Then we'll have to call Ryo and Hirokazu to let them be aware of it…"

Ruki looked to the side, clearly unsatisfied. Having to wait to know whether or not this was all her fault was no walk in the park. "How long could this _story_ possibly be?"

"Hopefully not much longer," Kenta said uneasily, sensing Ruki's crude impatience. "No one's even walked in to check on us since Terriermon started talking.

"Oh," Ruki mumbled, softening. "… How's Jaarin taking it?"

Juri just shook her head. "I… we're not sure. But if she hasn't gotten any better since last night…"

Everyone automatically winced, recalling how upset Jenrya's sister was the night before. More than anyone else, Jaarin was suffering the most at this point. Even Ruki could vouch for that; she may have been an accomplice, but at least she hadn't _thought_ up the entire plan that may have caused this. On top of that, Ruki didn't have the responsibility of **being** an older sister to Jenrya. It was one thing to be betrayed and let down by a friend, but a blood relative? One that had to take care of the younger sibling no matter what?

"I wish I could… say something," Ruki choked out. "To help her, you know? This just can't be her fault… how could we have known this would happen…?"

It was after that, when Jaarin made her presence known in Jenrya's room. Though the other Tamers never had seen much of her, they could clearly tell when Jaarin was okay, and when she wasn't. And she was anything but okay, even at this very moment. She was emotionally drained, psychically worn… but she still had no signed of faltering as she still had a perfect posture. In addition, she was also carrying a tray, which had an impressive breakfast spread over it.

The food itself was extremely fresh, despite however long Jaarin spent making it. Steam was still rising above everything, and the calm, unobtrusive smell made the other Tamers feel somewhat at ease. Obviously, though, the food alone couldn't break the tension in the room. Jaarin finally had to face her brother's friends and formally apologize. Something she _never_ would have imagined doing.

"Jaarin," Ruki acknowledged as sympathetically as she could muster. "How're things…?"

Shaking her head, Jaarin simply looked to the bed-ridden Jenrya. "He still hasn't woken up yet?"

Juri looked to Jaarin questioningly. "How long would people in his condition stay unconscious?"

"I don't know," Jaarin whispered. "This… this never really happened before."

"He hasn't really moved or anything," Kenta sadly reported. "What if it… like… takes another week or so?"

"That's ridiculous," Jaarin dismissed, frowning. "Jenrya's a strong kid. He's… he's going to pull through this. He'll survive. … And it _will_ be today that he wakes up."

Ruki glanced over to the breakfast tray as Jaarin slowly set it down on a table. "You made all that for him?"

"He'll need a lot of food when he wakes up," Jaarin reasoned. "I imagine anyone would be terribly low on energy after almost freezing to death…"

"That's true," Juri admitted, her eyes now, once again, back on the floor. Oddly enough, she was feeling something awful inside her and it had only risen up in her again the moment Jaarin walked into the room… _'She must be in so much pain right now… and she's so resilient against it__..'_"It's good though, Jaarin … that you really believe in your brother."

"We **all** believe in him," Jaarin countered, closing her eyes and slightly bowing her head, with the insinuation that merely believing in Jenrya wasn't going to make her any less guilty for what's already been done. "I just… don't know what else to do…"

"What are you talking about?" Kenta asked in disbelief. "You slaved in the kitchen for hours making him breakfast even though he can't eat it yet. Considering that not much else will be helpful for Jen at this point, you should slow down, Jaarin."

"It was really thoughtful of you to do that for him," Ruki complimented shyly. "Please don't beat yourself up over it anymore… not until you're certain what went on last night."

Juri was almost looking desperate for Jaarin to feel better. "Whatever you did, you never meant to hurt him! You have to remember that… he'll forgive you!"

Suddenly, Jaarin rose back to her upright posture, eyes wide open and glaring. Everyone else abruptly ceased their encouragements.

"Will you all _**stop**__ telling me what to do?_" was the nerve-breaking shout she forced out of her tired self. "I'm five years older than all of you, and I've known Jenrya five years **longer** than the rest of you! By NOW, wouldn't you think I would know how to properly handle being in this kind of situation?" Jaarin was shaking uncontrollably, just from her first outburst; half from anger and aggravation of Jenrya's friends relentlessly sugarcoating the situation. The other half was desperate, upset… for all the torture she might've put Jenrya through in his lifetime. And this whole situation in general.

"I have more right than **any** of you to be upset at a time like this!"

With that, Jaarin ran past Juri, Kenta, and Ruki, and promptly to Jenrya's bed, where she fell to her knees in order to be on level with her brother. Flinging her arms desperately over the cover sheets, she collapsed onto the bed into several sorrowful cries. The kind of cry that came close to making the other Tamers cry with her, _just_ from hearing it. It was truly a pitiful sight to behold. Not long after it, Juri permanently shielded her eyes from the depressing scene.

Being the sensitive girl she was… Juri couldn't bear to let her eyes see how badly Jaarin was torturing herself over Jenrya. But it was purely understandable; even Ruki and Kenta were having a difficult time just watching Jaarin break down like this. Much less **try** to stop her.

"What kind of sister am I?" Jaarin asked no one in particular. And it was fair enough; no one dared to answer her. "Doing something like this to my own little brother…? Why didn't I realize someday I'd be going too far and I'd end up killing him…? Wasn't it _obvious_ enough?"

Kenta looked over to Ruki, nervous and unsure as he ever would be, and choked out a slight whisper. "… I… is it a good idea to stop her…?"

Ruki didn't even look at Kenta. Her eyes were stuck, wide open and terrified, of the self-hating Jaarin. "… If you're planning to do it, be my guest. But there's no way I'm being apart of it. Just _look at her…_"

"I don't DESERVE his forgiveness!" Jaarin declared to everyone present in the room. "I don't deserve to be around him again! …I don't even deserve to be his _sister_ anymore... why would he trust me after this? He never trusts me anyway. And I don't **blame** him, because not a day's gone by since he's been born that I haven't treated him like garbage!" In frustration, she pounded a fist against the bed, but of course making sure she didn't make any physical contact with Jenrya. "I'm the worst sister in the world… how could you forgive anyone for that?"

"I wish she would stop," Juri softly told the others. "It's not her fault and she _knows_ it…"

Kenta did a double take. "G… good point, Juri!" He sharply looked to Jaarin. "Jaarin, didn't you at least overhear Terriermon? What did he say?"

Slowly, Jaarin tried to calm down and rise above the sheets she was sobbing into. "I'm sure Terriermon is just sugarcoating everything… I didn't hear the entire story, but something about the boats Jen and Takato were in… they malfunctioned or something…"

"See? I…it couldn't have been your fault, then!" Ruki shot out. "You didn't know what condition those boats were in, did you?"

"No, but if I never sent him on the boat in the first place…"

"It was just a stupid joke!" Ruki asserted, standing up, and pointing at Jaarin. "You know as well as I do that we'd never really hurt anybody…! If… if Jenrya can't figure that one out on his own, then he needs help!" From her sudden display of emotions, Ruki was finding herself extremely tense. Reluctantly, she calmed down a slight bit. "Of course we still need to apologize to him… but we don't have to completely hate ourselves because of some horrible, immature prank we played. That's not what Jenrya wants us to do, Jaarin."

"It's not like he's **your** brother," Jaarin bitterly replied. "How could you possibly know what he's thinking?"

Ruki looked hard down on Jenrya, who was still just as still and serene as ever under his sheets. Narrowing her eyes, she folded her arms and lowered her voice to a quiet-but-still-easily-audible level. "Trust me. …He knows what happened better than any of us. If he hated us that much… he wouldn't even be trying to survive."

That shut Jaarin up quite well. She made no further attempts to continue the argument. Kenta, all the meanwhile, was looking over to Ruki, to Jaarin, to Jenrya, to the breakfast, and to Juri over and over again. Even after the shouting had dissipated, Juri was trying her best not to look at anyone. Gradually, she was losing her cool and would be upset again at any time.

Jaarin looked to Jenrya once more, with a pair of begging, teary eyes. For her, the longer she kept seeing her brother so still and silent, the longer she would be reeling in pain from the utter guilt of it all.

"Please forgive me," Jaarin finally whispered, shuddering. "I'll never… hurt you again." She sighed, looking up to the ceiling. "Even if that means you don't want me in your life anymore…"

Mayumi, Janyuu, and Terriermon came into Jenrya's room at last, with Janyuu carrying Terriermon. The poor little Digimon had exhausted himself from explaining the entire situation in detail. Nobody exchanged any words as the group entered the room, leaving Rinchei and Shuichon to be standing at the entrance to the room. Mayumi stepped ahead of the rest of her family, and quietly knelt down next to Jaarin. She took a moment to observe her unconscious son, before turning to Jaarin. She continued not to make a sound as she put her hands on Jaarin's shoulders, and turned her sideways so she could directly talk with her.

"… It wasn't your fault."

Jaarin blinked, wiped away her tears, and stared at her mother in disbelief. "What did you say…?"

"It wasn't your fault," Mayumi calmly repeated. "We know what exactly happened now, Jaarin… it wasn't you."

Jaarin just hatefully shook her head. "It had to be…"

"No," Mayumi cut her off. "You had nothing to do with them ending up in the lake, nearly freezing to death. Whether or not you tricked Jenrya into going on the boats, Takato would've been there anyway."

"That… that doesn't make any sense," Jaarin argued, though didn't dare raise her voice at this time. "There would've been at least two other people in the lake, freezing with them…"

Janyuu saw it fit to put in a word. "They accidentally ended up in a boat _together_, dear."

"Together…?" Jaarin's eyes widened, not expecting to hear that. Her good intentions for Jenrya were **already** destroyed before the ride even began? "How… how can that be?"

"Takato was being naïve and Jen didn't notice until it was too late," Terriermon explained, though still looking a little drained on the physical side. "But it was an honest accident, Jaarin. Neither of them rode with any girls."

Hearing this just made Jaarin slump. "So even what good I _tried_ to do for him failed," she acknowledged. "Now he _really_ doesn't need a reason to forgive me…"

"It was really **my** fault why they both fell in the lake," Terriermon groaned. "I was messing with the boat even after Jen told me to stop, and I ended up making' the boat sink. I didn't mean any harm, though… I really didn't… but it sunk anyway… so I had to find you and the others as fast as I could before those two turned into ice cubes. I found you all about to start the party, and then… well… yeah." He tried to look cheerful for Jaarin's sake. "It wasn't in the least your fault, you see!"

"Maybe we could've at least saved Jenrya the trouble if we didn't trick him," Ruki suddenly admitted. "It seems kind of… unnecessary that he went through this."

Mayumi looked sternly to Ruki. "I don't want you _or_ Jaarin beating yourselves up for what happened last night. You have the story from Terriermon, now. You have absolutely no reason to take the brunt of the blame."

"No one's going to be punished," Janyuu clarified. "We can accept this as an honest accident on **everybody's** part."

"Do you promise?" Mayumi inquired, extending one hand to Ruki and her other to Jaarin. "Not to worry about this anymore?"

Reluctantly, both girls accepted the hand, shook, and therefore promised to let the ordeal rest.

"Good call, I think," Kenta whispered to Juri. "After all, it was Ruki and Jaarin's plan to trick him onto the boat in the first place, but they _did_ give him a choice, and Jenrya accepted it. However, he wouldn't have accepted it if Ruki, you, and me didn't pressure him into it. Then there's Terriermon's whole thing… we can just say it's kind of everyone's fault, right? And therefore it all cancels out into being no one's fault."

Juri didn't respond. While everyone else went back to silently observing Jenrya, she stood up without a warning, causing all eyes to suddenly lay on her.

Ruki was the most curious. "Juri…?"

With closed eyes, and a bowed head, Juri positioned herself to walk towards the door. Sensing her about to exit, Rinchei and Shuichon moved out of the way.

"What's wrong?" Kenta asked to break the silence, sounding genuinely concerned.

"I… I just want to call Takato's parents," Juri requested, trying to sound as undemanding as possible. "Now that we know what happened… I think the others might want to know, too."

"That's right," said Kenta, remembering the deal they had made with Hirokazu, Ryo, and Takato's parents. To _immediately_ call one another the second one boy was regaining consciousness or they finally learned what really happened. "We ought to let them know; I bet Takato hasn't woken up, either."

Ruki looked down at the floor, trying to look as indifferent and inquisitive as possible. "So, how are they taking this…?"

"Not too well," Janyuu answered. "That kid has some high-strung parents, and apparently those other boys have no idea what happened at all."

"Figures," Kenta muttered, rolling his eyes. "They were too busy trying to impress Ruki while this all went on."

"It's not like I **asked** them to stalk me," Ruki snapped back, but not sounding very angry about it. "If it were my choice, they should've been stuck on that ride all night long. But that's not important right now…" She smiled at Juri. "Go ahead and call them."

Juri made a very weak attempt to smile back. The smile was there… any reason _for_ her smiling was not. "Thank you."

* * *

( POV – Nobody )

* * *

"… You think he'll wake up any time today?"

"I really wouldn't know. I'm not exactly a doctor or anything."

"But you're Ryo! You're Ryo!"

"… Who is not a doctor."

"Damn."

"Kids, you might want to come here for a second," Takehiro, the remotely calmer parent of Takato quickly barged into his son's room and approached the two Rooster Heads sitting before his bedside. "We've just gotten a call from the Lee residence."

Ryo immediately stood. "Did something happen…?"

"Probably, if they called us. That was part of the deal," Takehiro reminded. He pointed back to the door of Takato's room. "Come on, it's best we all listen together. Mie's holding on for us."

Hirokazu stood with Ryo, but kept his eyes on Takato, who was lying just as peacefully as Jenrya was, and very utterly silent. He wasn't quite as overloaded on blankets as his best friend was (mainly because the Matsudas never owned nearly as many blankets to begin with as the Lees had), but he was still well-covered from neck to toe. The window was tightly shut, and it was certain no cold air would reach a centimeter within the room. Guilmon, naturally, was also present, never laying his eyes off his sleeping partner. It was a basic visual reference of perhaps, someone's dog or a Saint Bernard looking over any sick person in bed, never leaving their side, even for a moment.

"Do I come too?" Guilmon asked, without looking at anyone else.

"I think you'd rather stay right where you are," Takehiro noted with a smile. "You just keep an eye out on Takato for us, okay, Guilmon? Let us know if he makes any sudden movements."

"Okay," Guilmon sort of breathed out, in a tired and depressed manner. "I can do that."

"Good," Takehiro looked to Hirokazu and Ryo, started walking for the door, and reiterating his former gesture. "Let's move on, you two."

Hirokazu sighed, quickly following Ryo and exiting Takato's room. Out of everyone else, Hirokazu understood what was going on the _least_. Seeing his old friend in a dire state was already frustrating him; not knowing how it happened was just making it all the worse for him. Despite it all, Hirokazu did his best to look unaffected to Ryo, who was decidedly calm, and more than anything else, maturely concerned about what happened. He was around just as much as Hirokazu was during the incident. And yet he had a much better attitude going about it.

_'I've got so much to learn from Ryo,' _Hirokazu thought sullenly. _'I must be doing something wrong… I always feel like a moron when I'm around him.'_

Hirokazu shook that negative thought away from him as he looked up to Ryo, and smiled. _'And somehow, I don't care feeling that way at all!'_

"Let's hope it's good news, eh, 'Kazu?" Ryo asked his acquaintance. To make the question sound at least optimistic, he flashed a grin at his admirer.

"Couldn't imagine hoping any other way," Hirokazu replied, making good work with keeping his casual calmness about himself. "I hope Ruki's not taking it too hard, though. …I think she's blaming herself for all this."

At most, this made Ryo blink. "… That's right. She _does_ think this whole thing started because of that plan she and Jenrya's sister made."

"I know she's the Digimon Queen and all," Hirokazu admitted, narrowing his eyes to signify a rare moment of his cynicism. "But I doubt even she **or** Jaarin could make _that_ elaborate of scheme. Besides, they wouldn't want to kill both of them off."

"Any little incident has the ability to gradually grow into something worse, 'Kazu," Ryo noted, raising his index finger. "It's called the snowball effect. I'm not saying I suspect Ruki of trying to hurt Jenrya and Takato, but I still understand why she might be feeling guilty right now."

"Always staying open-minded about these things, I see," Hirokazu acknowledged, closing his eyes and smiling, and putting his hands in his pockets. "We're so lucky to have you as a friend, Ryo… Ruki more than the rest of us, I'm sure."

Ryo, caught off-guard with that kind of compliment, just remained sophisticated with a small chuckle and a shrug. "You need to remember, I'm four years your senior. It's like an obligation for me to help you through experiences I might've already gone through."

This immediately caught Hirokazu's attention. "You went through this kind of thing before?"

"Maybe not exactly how this turned out," Ryo said, looking upwards, digging around in his memory. "But I'm sure at some point in my life I was guilt-tripping myself because I thought I did something horrible to a friend." He gave Hirokazu a warm smile to reassure him. "There's nothing wrong with it. It shows how much you care for your friends. And we're all friends here, aren't we?"

"Totally tight," Hirokazu agreed.

Hirokazu, Ryo, and Takehiro were on the bottom floor now, in the kitchen. Mie was where Takehiro said she was, near the phone and standing by. Being high-strung, Mie was easily the most distraught victim of the group. Compared to Jaarin, she was utterly hysterical.

"Juri Katou is on the line," she said. Immediately, she offered the phone to her surrounding company. "Who would like to speak with her?"

Hirokazu raised a hand and opened his mouth, only uttering an inaudible sound until Ryo stepped ahead of him, nodded, and took the phone without saying a word.

Slightly crestfallen, Hirokazu just folded his arms behind his back and listened intently to what was said over the phone. Takehiro and Mie followed suit.

"What's up?" Ryo asked without a hint of worry in his voice. "Did Jenrya wake up yet?"

The phone conversation commenced, Juri's voice over the phone being too quiet for anyone other than Ryo to clearly comprehend what she was trying to say. Everyone just intently looked to Ryo for any changes in his expressions as he directly received the news. More than anything, Ryo would give "Oh"s in response, some sounding perfectly accepting, and others on the verge of disappointment. The constant switching back-and-forth of these emotions made the air very tense in the small kitchen. As it was, the call hardly lasted more than five minutes, yet for the others it seemed like an eternity had passed the moment Ryo said "Okay, I'll let everyone know. Thank you, Juri. Good luck, and we'll call you back soon. Bye."

"What'd she say…?" Hirokazu blurted out, somehow wanting to _be_ the first one to pop that question.

Ryo sighed, as he turned around to hang up the phone. "Apparently they've all decided to handle it by saying it was everyone's fault in some way or another, so because of that, no one's getting any direct punishment. Turns out this was just an innocent accident after all."

Hirokazu sighed in relief, for Ruki's sake. "That must take a load of stress off her…"

Mie and Takehiro didn't bother inquiring Hirokazu about who 'she' was.

"So no one tried to hurt our baby?" Mie asked hopefully.

"Nope," Ryo proudly confirmed. "The boats were cheap and shoddily-made to begin with. Takato and Jenrya just ended up on that ride by accident, and they happened to be on a boat that fell apart while they were on it."

"**That's** it?" Hirokazu blurted out. "Ruki got upset and thought she froze those two to death because of some shitty—" quickly, he turned to Takato's parents. "—Pardon me, some bootleg boats?"

Ryo couldn't help but sweatdrop at Hirokazu's ever-amusing vocabulary. "… It was that plan of hers and Jaarin's to get Jenrya, at least, on those boats in the first place. But neither of them knew how poorly they were made."

"Who could trust a bicultural festival _anyway_?" Mie bitterly wondered. "We ought to just sue them for what they put us through. They, or anyone else could've been killed just from one of their rides!"

Takehiro just sighed and patted his wife on the shoulders. "Honey, we don't need to complicate things by filing a lawsuit against a bunch of people. If these rides were truly deadly, I'm sure they'd never be allowed to be in the festival in the first place."

"Then maybe Takato isn't ready for going to festivals on his own!" Mie announced. "Maybe what happened last night proves that he still needs us around to make sure he doesn't get himself killed."

"Aw, give him more credit!" Hirokazu argued. "The rest of us got to go by ourselves and we didn't die! Jenrya was more or less trapped into going on that ride in the first place, so it wasn't like he had a choice. Who's to say Takato had any more freedom than he did?"

Ryo quietly held out his index finger. "Juri told me that Takato wasn't with them during the time Jenrya was forced to go. In fact, they didn't know _where_ he was."

"So he got himself lost?" Takehiro assumed, biting his lip in utter resentment, because he knew this fact wouldn't even come _close_ to changing Mie's mind.

"Pretty much; that's what Terriermon said, and he's the only conscious witness right now," Ryo explained. "You have to trust his word."

"I'll trust them, all right," Mie grumbled, in a very low and quiet voice. "Takehiro, when our son wakes up… remind me to let him know he's not to go anywhere other than school on his own _again_."

Everyone save for Mie instantly widened their eyes from that remark.

"He… he's a teenager, honey," Takehiro choked out in utter confusion. "He's been doing things on his own since he was ten. Remember? We trusted him to go without us in the **Digital World**… he kept his promise, dear. He stayed alive for us. Are you willing to take that freedom away from him even though he's more than proven he can handle things on his own? Just from this incident?"

Sadly, for Mie's case, her husband's statement made too much sense for her to just ignore. After an extremely prolonged pause… she only sighed, and held her balled fist under her chin. Genuinely, she was emotionally distraught, to the point where she'd do anything to protect her only son…

… Was that so wrong?

"It's… it's not my place," Ryo very cautiously cut in. "To have a say, that is… but I wanted to suggest that maybe this isn't the right time to be discussing how to discipline Takato. He's not awake yet, and I figure until he _does_ wake up, our top priority should be just to take care of him until he gets better." Ryo's feedback was even more of that tense silence.

Hirokazu, at last, decided to support the suggestion. "You can't jump to conclusions like that when Takato's laying there in bed, suffering. It's not a good time."

"… I guess you've got a point," Takehiro concurred, looking to Mie. "Is that okay…?"

Mie wouldn't say anything; she just shook her head, folded her arms, and slumped. She did indeed look like she had just lost something irreplaceable in her heart… even if she hadn't really lost it at all.

Wordlessly, she walked back up the stairs to Takato's room, and waited by Takato's side for any signs at all from him. Any sign telling her he'd be with them soon.

With just as much concern, Takehiro, Ryo, and Hirokazu followed her and promptly followed suit.

It was just all a matter of waiting and patience, now.

* * *

( POV – Nobody )

* * *

**It's truly a pity.**

"A pity?"

**To think, your miserable life could've just ended here last night. And instead, your God has forsaken you, and forced you to live just **_**how**_** much longer on this wretched, unbearable planet?**

"… Excuse me…?"

**Trust me. You don't need this world at all. You just haven't a clue of how much you really don't need it.**

"What are you talking about…? I… I like my home."

**I have a much more suitable home that might cater to your needs better than that 'home' of yours, I believe.**

"Look, who _are_ you? Where _am_ I?"

**Where **_**are**_** you? **_**Who**_** am I? If you really must know, you must be willing to comply with me… at least for a little while.**

"What, is taking me home just not an option right now? I don't really care _that_ much about where I am, if that's what you're wondering. I can't even see anything."

**I do suppose the entire pitch-black setting is a bit bland for anyone's tastes. But in all honesty, I didn't think you'd want to know what this place **_**really**_** looked like.**

"So you're already hiding things from me? That's a really good way to earn my trust."

**I never did say I was trying to gain your trust, boy. I just didn't imagine anyone would really like to see the truth.**

"Okay, try me."

**You might regret that.**

"I _am_ a Digimon Tamer… from all what I've been through just by being that, I don't think I'll be scared into things so easily."

**Well, if you're that confident about it. Just don't complain if you don't like what you see.**

"I'm not promising that—"

The darkness was gone, and yet there was still a large amount of black everywhere. But there were still traces of light, as it was reflecting off the black— but in the strangest of ways. Of course, he didn't expect to LIKE what he saw… but he also wasn't expecting something _this_ out of the ordinary. It was any paranormal fanatic's worst nightmare and greatest hope combined into one.

He was bound by unintelligible shiny, black slime. From head to toe, the slime sickeningly glistened as it seemingly permanently attached itself to random parts of his body.

Just _where_ was he? … It would be the last place he would EVER think of…

* * *

( TBC ) 


	7. Fight and Flight

**( Notes:**

**Another pretty 'blah' chapter. Not much noteworthy changes took place here. Man, 6 and 7 really are pretty dull. At least it all picks up for the last two chapters. And then, soon, I can work on the new material! Woo! )  
**

* * *

( POV – Takato )

* * *

Maybe it was that bad tofu I ate… but whatever happened, I could NOT remember where I was at this very moment, what happened, or what caused it to happen.

All I knew was… I was alone. I didn't have Juri… and I didn't have Jenrya.

Why have I relied on those two so much lately…? It was almost like I was becoming codependent on my friends all of a sudden. … Well, maybe not _all of a sudden_, since I always needed my friends with me to function. But lately Juri was always standing out… maybe, finally because it was starting to show how much I was in love with her? It's just amazing how long it's been going on and she still hasn't made any sign indicating that she even _knows_ I feel that way, much less herself having feelings on the matter.

If she doesn't want me, that's fine, I guess… I mean, I can't force her into things. I wouldn't really be a friend if I did that to her. Until I'm sure, I guess I'm trapped into my own void of affection for her…

I just wish I could just go up and tell her… but something was holding me back. I didn't know what just yet, but… something just simply held me by the leash, restraining me from doing what I've wanted to do for the past few years now. By now, whatever it was, it was getting pretty troublesome to be holding me back at a time like this… a time where **anyone** could just pick up Juri if I didn't get moving. And then I'd hate myself for the rest of my life because I didn't speak up…

It was totally ridiculous. I shouldn't _be_ at this stage this late in the game. Most other people in my shoes would've been seriously _dating_ her right now!! And nothing could stand in our way… but that's… it's not the case with me. I simply waited too long. Long enough to where something is in my way now. How could I be so stupid?! Why did I just let myself be taken over by fear and paranoia?! Were my feelings for Juri just NOT that pure enough…? Just how pure do you have to **get**? Was there something wrong with me…?

Actually… I wouldn't be all that surprised if I had real problems. I think it would actually make more sense if I had some kind of personality or mental disorder… what kind of moron would be torturing himself like this otherwise? If only I could be sure just on what Juri would say to me… she's… she's such a wonderful person, and I'd sooner cut my own hands off rather than _ever_ hurt her or make her sad under _any_ circumstance.

Even if it's just to tell her how I really felt…

… Being this uneasy just made me want to turn to Jenrya… and just… I don't know. Just recently I realized that I was always my calmest when I was with my best friend. I was rarely tense, always relaxed… I really felt like I could just tell him anything. He could tell me anything… and it wouldn't matter. There'd be no consequence… only reassurance. We were so good to each other… just like how best friends should be.

I guess, really… I could always tell Guilmon the very same things I tell Jenrya and it wouldn't make any more of a difference. Guilmon's loyal… _more_ than loyal enough to never ever humiliate me on purpose. Still… Guilmon, after all this time still had that immature mentality about him. He was also still a Digimon… and despite how much bonding we've done with our Digimon over the years, understanding each other and BEING one another through the Biomerging… it was still kind of awkward to talk to them about things like love. Especially when you've got someone like Guilmon… maybe that's why I chose Jenrya to unload all my feelings on lately. Jen was _more_ than just my emotional outlet. He really talked to me… and he tried to help me find solutions to my problems.

Jen… always seemed to regret it when there was a situation where he couldn't help me. I know well enough I felt horrible when I couldn't help him. Even when it comes to things like his siblings… something I have no experience with whatsoever. I'll always be an only child… but I'd never let that stop me from trying to make him feel better. I want Jenrya to smile when I'm around, because now I knew that it'd just break my heart to see him feeling down…

I just wish I knew where he was now… so I could see him. So I could run to him… and he could hug me… let me know everything's all right…

Or maybe Juri could run into my arms… and I could protect her from anything… I could prove to her I was capable of being anything she would ever need. If I could only tell her how I felt…

I could tell Jenrya all about my love confession to her, sure… but Juri herself? Never.

Then again, I could tell Juri all about my concerns involving Jenrya, because I tend to worry about him a lot… but directly asking Jenrya about his problems was kind of another story.

At least Juri was genuinely concerned enough for Jen to try and help him in any way she can, though…

…. I was just **so** hoping they'd never, _ever_ hook up… that would really kill me.

And… and why **would** they hook up, anyway?! Juri's known me a LOT longer than she's known Jenrya! And it's not like he was all over her when Juri was going through that Leomon-Loss period… it was all me working my rump off to make sure she was okay! **I** rescued her from the D-Reaper… a-and… Jenrya said he's not interested in her that way! So there… that's why she shouldn't be with Jen.

It's a two-way street! Jenrya befriended me way before he befriended Juri! If it weren't for me, he would've never met her! Besides, I think we relate better... Jen and I. We've shared more secrets to each other, and Juri was always more comfortable with giving her secrets to Ruki when she felt it necessary to share them. I'm the only Tamer who knows Jen inside out. As much as anyone could, anyway… why would he need her when he has me…? Just because she has a brother? I don't buy that… nothing should _ever_ separate me from Jenrya. I think for some reason I just recently proved that I'm the only one who _really_ knows how to treat Jen the way he needs to be treated… and…

… I feel like… something isn't right. With what I just said… there's an obvious problem here. … Maybe it's because I don't really remember what happened before this. Possibly, but what could've happened that would make me feel so strongly about this…?

Why was I suddenly this adamant about not wanting Jen and Juri together, just for my sake? Wasn't I just being, maybe… a bit **too** greedy?

It's not like they _would_ get together or anything… it's got to be mutual for that to happen. Jenrya wouldn't lie to me, and he told me he doesn't like her. He… he doesn't like… her like that… and she doesn't like _him_ like that… there's no way she would… it just wouldn't make sense.

… Am I being redundant or what?

It's just… it's all I can THINK about, for some reason!! I was alone… I needed somebody, I needed _Jen_… I needed Juri… I need them both…

With me…

… And no one else.

W-why was I thinking these selfish thoughts, anyway…?

Where was I again?

Oh. Wait. … I'm unconscious! That... explains a lot.

* * *

( POV – Nobody )

* * *

Sadly enough, no one was there to witness the event they'd all been waiting all day for; the moment when Takato's weary, crimson eyes cracked open, making him conscious for the first time since the festival started. That's what they wanted… that reassurance telling them he'd be okay.

With a tiny, forced yawn, Takato sat up, noticing he was securely tucked in his bed. When the brief bout of blurriness in his vision subsided, Takato looked at his surroundings to find his mother, father, Guilmon, and **Juri** of all people completely passed out on Takato's floor.

However, Takato still wasn't retaining any memories of what had happened to him at the festival; he wasn't aware he had just narrowly escaped freezing to death in a lake. Therefore, the presence of his whole family—_and_ Juri in his room was a big, startling surprise for him. Looking out at the window, Takato realized that it was remotely bright outside, perhaps late morning or so. His last memories were on some day in the late afternoon…

Automatically processing that through his mind, Takato could deduct on his own the conclusion that _something_ out of the ordinary must've happened to him.

He wanted badly to just jump out of bed and announce to the world that he was okay and wanted to know what was going on… but the energy for Takato to do so just didn't exist like it used to. Takato felt an unusual fragility throughout his body, like something inside him was damaged… it was almost frightening for him to experience that at his age.

Takato cleared his throat a couple of times, finding that his vocal chords and voice in general were still in working order. For some reason, Takato had no urge to shout… only to speak loud enough to be audible by anyone in the room.

When he was comfortable enough to casually speak, he looked back down to his company below him and prepared to urge them all awake by calling out on them.

"Hey, Juri— GAH!!"

Takato's talking was halted. His eyes significantly widened, his pupils shrunk two whole sizes, and instantly, his right hand flew to his chest, where his heart lay. Grasping it with the utmost care, Takato hunched over, with the blurry vision taking over his sight once again. It was suddenly **extremely** difficult for him to breathe, and could now only do so in loud, choppy pants. With all this in play, it was impossible for Takato to even come close to speaking in real words. Every time he tried, he was at a sudden loss of breath and the word was cut off, never to be completed.

A severe, intense pain had taken over where Takato's heart was. The swelling torture was prioritizing over every single function of Takato's body, even the ones required immediately for his survival. Takato himself could barely imagine what the pain could possibly be; he was _way_ too young and healthy to have a heart attack. Not to say he was in a top, fit condition… but he certainly had a good enough diet and enough exercise to make any heart attack excuse impossible.

Nonetheless, the pain was directly in his heart, and Takato could **feel** the immense burning inside of it. Oddly enough, the feeling was scarily similar to some feeling he experienced once before, not so long ago… but it wasn't anything Takato could immediately recall. And he certainly never went through _exactly_ this much pain; it was more like an extreme version of some kind of overwhelming emotional feeling he had from doing… something…

Whatever it was he did… it wasn't coming to him. Especially not now.

It was becoming painful for him to even keep his eyes open, so with a painful cry, he shut them once more. But he'd never forget the last thing he saw… as he was looking down upon himself… his bare hands and arms… Takato noticed that they were looking a little redder than usual. It could've been easily set aside for the excuse that his body was just warmer than usual for staying under a bunch of blankets all night… had it not been for the fact that the subtle red hue was also showing through his _clothes_.

Thankfully, Takato's last cry was enough to stir the residents sleeping in his room. Just as Takehiro, Mie, Juri, and Guilmon came to from their slumber, they found Takato had evidently woken up… just in time to fall back down unconscious.

Even on a Monday morning, nothing was at rest in the Matsuda household.

* * *

( POV – Ruki )

* * *

It was really kind of hard getting back into the daily grind of school when two of my friends just about died… in result, I was having many a difficulty just paying attention today. Not that I was ever wild about paying attention in class anyway…

Honestly, I didn't know what I was so worried about. Late last night, I got a phone call from Jenrya's family, and they let me know that Jen had come out of his coma, and was doing fine now. So at least I didn't have to worry about _him_ just dying on us all of a sudden. I still hadn't heard anything about Takato waking up, but I still had faith in him. I knew he wasn't the type of person to just die on us like that. Not without saying goodbye, at least…

That's the only Takato-related thing I felt like processing through my mind, now. I usually don't think about him and Jen this much for a _month's_ time. And it wasn't doing me any good, anyway…

Willingly ignoring Ms. Nishizawa's next lesson, my eyes wandered to the window, and out of nowhere, that bastard Ryo Akiyama popped into my mind **again**.

I hate that so much! … Well, I don't hate _him_, of course. But he's ALWAYS popping up in my mind when I'm looking out the window! I could be thinking about how _free_ I could be from this oppressive private school of hell instead of him! Then again, he doesn't really live in Shinjuku, so half the time he's really far away from us. Maybe just seeing the sky reminds me how far away he really is sometimes…

He's a cocky jerk half the time, really… but he looked out for us a lot. And why shouldn't he? He's like four years older than we are. He'd better be good for _that_, at least. Maybe I'm just paranoid, though… because sometimes it's unsettling to acknowledge that he's a little distance away from us. If we're in trouble, we can't really rely on him to always come to our rescue. He visits us VERY often, way more than a casual visitor would… but still. There's always that 'What If?' possibility out there.

What if someone needed Ryo and he couldn't be there for them?

I knew that someone wouldn't be me. I've needed him enough for one lifetime. Times have changed, and I'm very self-sufficient, despite the fact that I have friends now. Friends can't change everything about me… and it's not like it's _bad_ to be self-sufficient or anything. For females especially, it's actually a talent. Anyway, I've grown to know how to take care of my own personal matters on my own. When I really needed the help, I'd accept it… but under no circumstance would I let anyone try to butt into my business if I _knew_ I didn't need their assistance.

Of course, there was a difference between my friends and Renamon… she was a lot more stubborn when it came to her wanting to help—and that was a good thing, I guess. It's a sign that she'll really never change on how she feels, or how protective she is of me. And for that, I have to thank her… where would I be in this world without her?

She really needs more credit, my Renamon… she's done a lot more for me than Ryo ever did. Then again, no one should expect Ryo to be there for them at their every command. It's not like it's his _obligation_ to be our bitch until the end of time… I'm sure he's got a life of his own outside the Tamer business. I mean, he's well into his High School years now… and even back during our Digiworld encounters, he _was_ fourteen. And there's a pretty thick barrier between the fourteen and ten-year olds. Our only real tie to him back then was the card game. Had it not been for that lingering similar interest, I never would've met Ryo. Neither would anyone else, most likely.

I guess what I'm trying to imply is that unlike _some_ of us… Ryo's life sure as hell would not circulate around a damn card game. He's bound to have some high school buddies his age that he hangs around with, he probably indulges on the same High School shit everyone else does… you just never know with Ryo. He's not exactly open about his life outside of Digimon. There's no doubt it was a big part of his life and it _still_ is, considering he still has Cyberdramon— err, Monodramon… or whatever… but still. He's in High School, far away from the rest of us. He'd have to be a really sad loser to not have a real life outside that.

Maybe that's why I never took so well to his come-ons. Because I knew damn well he was fourteen, I was ten, and he probably hits on girls his age way more than he did me, and I would've just been his pawn to play around with while he saved the world. Well… maybe he's not that horrible. Maybe he just thought I was different because I was a card game champion, pretty much the only female at that, and for some crazy reason it amused him…

Oh, forget it!

It doesn't matter to me either way now. My _real_ main concern as of late has been… oddly…

Hirokazu.

Why? Because of Ryo. Why because of Ryo? Because Hirokazu's had a blatantly sickening hero-worship of Ryo since day one. I'm not one to want to witness it every time it happens, but I've seen enough as to where I'm drawing the conclusions that Hirokazu must REALLY be getting on Ryo's nerves. I mean, he _never_ leaves him alone. Not even for a second! I'm really starting to think he's more in love with Ryo than he is with me! But he probably hits on me just in case that day comes when Ryo tells him to back off. There's just as much of an age gap between him and Ryo as there is with me and Ryo. Did Ryo really even _swing_ that way? I mean, I can't tell… if he hits on me so much, he can't be totally homosexual, at the very least. But Hirokazu? I really don't know about him sometimes.

Apparently he's never grasped the concept of one having 'breathing room'. No wonder Kenta broke up with him.

Really, who does 'Kazu think he _is_? Just waltzing around, hanging off Ryo every chance he gets, totally kissing his ass… and for what? What exactly is he trying to prove?! It's not like it's macho or anything to be so helpless and clingy around some other guy. Then again, 'Kazu isn't a total girl like Takato and Jenrya have always been. He's just a bit more masculine… so maybe it wasn't his goal to look all tough in front of us. Maybe he did just have the hots for Ryo. The only difference in his behavior around Ryo as opposed to me is that 'Kazu doesn't really try to **be** better than him at anything. With me, he's always trying to upstage me, telling me I'm not the best around because I'm a girl… and his freaking _ego_, oh my god. He can be really full of himself sometimes!

Half the time I wonder why **he** isn't the Goggle-Head of our bunch…

Oh well. It's kind of useless to act superior around Ryo anyway; everyone and their grandma knows he's the best at everything; an absolute Mister Perfect. To even act like you're better than Ryo in _any_ aspect is an utter waste of time. And as brain-dead as 'Kazu tends to be, he's actually aware of this fact. That's why he focuses all his "I'm better than you!" propaganda on me, good ol' Second Place.

I'm pretty sure Takato was the former target of said propaganda in the past, but as time wore on, I could see that Takato wasn't exactly concerned about being the best at anything. He was actually willing to admit that he sucked at certain things… leading being one of them! With that in mind, I'm sure for Hirokazu that it got pretty boring to use Takato for his own self-esteem stepping stone. So when I came along, the feared and dreaded Digimon Queen, it was just a whole new ground for 'Kazu to try and step all over. Sad thing being, there's nothing he's been my superior at yet… except for possibly being more social than I am. Otherwise, he's not above me **or** Ryo… and at this rate, he probably never will be.

So why am I concerned about it, and wasting so much of my time thinking about Hirokazu's loathable flaws? Because it all goes back into my mental Ryo rant… like I said, Ryo's not around all the time, and since he deserves a life just as much as the rest of us do, we shouldn't expect him to be around to cater our needs. Just by looking at Hirokazu, you can tell he's not a very deep thinker. I bet thoughts like these would never pass through his subconscious for the rest of his lifetime. Because of this… I think he's always going to be dependent on Ryo.

And that's not a good thing at all. Not in 'Kazu's, OR Ryo's case.

I don't know if Ryo would have the heart to just shove off 'Kazu, if he got too involved… I mean, Ryo's a cocky moron and all, more than half the time, at least… but he isn't an asshole. Save for hitting on me, he's actually been pretty good to us. And he was always very tolerant to whatever flaws we individually possessed. He dealt with my bitter feminist ways just like he dealt with Hirokazu's nonstop insanity. And you know, that just makes Ryo _that_ much more perfect… but I really wish he wasn't sometimes. More than just sometimes, even.

He must have flaws somewhere, you know? And I know he can't live with Hirokazu clinging to his body parts for much longer. What if his High School friends saw him like that? I think Ryo knows as well as I do that all that nonsense will have to stop soon. Why he isn't _acting_ on this almost baffles me… almost. I just… know he doesn't want to hurt Hirokazu. Then again, I imagine it'd be kind of difficult to be willing to hurt the feelings of your biggest fan. And I know Hirokazu is pretty much his #1 Fan. Who else went off and copied his hairstyle, after all?

Well, I'll give 'Kazu one thing… he certainly knows how to be dedicated. But can't he put it to ANY good use? Besides… if Hirokazu gets over Ryo, what would happen then? What if he just clings to ME all the time?! God knows I've had it with all the crap he **already** does to me… putting up with any more would drive me even MORE insane!

… This is where the 'Out of Sight, Out of Mind' routine should be working for me. I wasted a perfectly good, boring, and useless lesson thinking about the Roosters.

Now the bell had gone off and school was over. I was left with one afternoon to reflect on these stupid thoughts… and I really didn't feel like doing that.

So, I was at my locker, getting things packed to take home with me. Chances were I'd be too lazy to do my homework _at_ home today, with all what went on and all… but I figured it wouldn't hurt to at least try and bring it home so I could do it if I felt like it. Fat chance, but… yeah.

I turned to face the hallway after I was done… and what was facing me? One of many giant windows lining the wall of this particular hallway.

The window I was facing had 'Kazu's _stupid face_ pressed against it!

Unfortunately, this startled me and he noticed that. Almost to the point where I fell backwards against my locker… but I wouldn't let myself klutz out in front of Rooster Boy like that. But one had to wonder… _what the hell was he doing at a girls' private school?!_

So I asked him.

Of course, I couldn't hear anything he said thanks to the piece of glass separating us, but his body language was legible enough for me to understand that he needed to see me outside about something. Normally, I wouldn't waste my time on the peon, but… these weren't normal times anymore. With Takato's own health still in question, I figured Hirokazu must be invading my school for some kind of good reason… so I nodded to him and made my way out of the building as fast as I could.

"… So **that's** what you look like in a skirt!"

… I take back anything good I ever said about him. I formed a fist, and was _this_ close to smashing it over his stupid head, but then he suddenly pulled a defensive maneuver and stepped back, waving his hands in front of me.

"Nononono! That's just my opening comment-like thingy…! Ruki, that's NOT why I came over here to see you!"

The bared-teeth frowning glare was still imprinted on my face. "Then what the hell do you **want**, Shiota?!"

Hirokazu just lowered his defense and sweatdropped. "I'm breaking rules by coming here, aren't I?"

"Trespassing on private property seems like an idea of yours," I bitterly replied. "But I guess it could be worse. You could've snuck into the building..."

"That was Plan A," Hirokazu admitted, scratching his head. "Then it occurred to me that I probably wouldn't find you while hiding in the bathrooms during the tail-end of school."

Upon this realization, I flashed a deadly glare to my little acquaintance. "You little pervert! In the BATHROOMS?!"

"I… was just in there for maybe a few minutes!" Hirokazu insisted, trying his best not to yell over me. "Then I figured maybe it'd be safer if I waited outside…! So here I am… I didn't even SEE any girls while I was in the bathroom… okay?"

"You're the biggest liar ever," I shot back, narrowing my eyes. "But whatever. What do you want?"

'Kazu sighed and looked off in the distance before mustering up the will to say everything. "… Me and the guys at school got a call earlier, and it was from the Matsudas…"

My eyes were no longer narrowed. They were pretty _widened_. "W… what happened…?"

"They think Takato finally woke up," Hirokazu reported, blatantly straying from the problem topic as long as he could. "But… he's not okay, Ruki. Something's wrong with him… the doctors don't have a clue of what it is, but he's in a lot of pain. No one has a clue of what's going to happen next…"

I… couldn't really think of a reply yet…

"Juri _was_ over there since early this morning, but now **she** went off somewhere and we don't know where or when she'll be back, Kenta's on his way to pick up Jenrya..." Hirokazu paused to look directly at me, but he wasn't at all meaning to be confrontational with the look. "You wouldn't happen to know where Ryo is, would you?"

Ugh. Ryo… I just rolled my eyes. "He's probably at **his** town, **his** school, living **his** life, Shiota. Look, we can't be bothering him every time something comes up… you know, his life doesn't revolve around us."

"But it's an emergency!" Hirokazu protested, almost looking serious about it. "Don't you think he'd care if Takato's having, like, a heart attack or something?!"

A _heart attack_?! "What the…? Are you that stupid?! Takato can't have a heart attack!"

"It's the closest thing the doctors are guessing to!" Hirokazu argued. "It probably _isn't_ a heart attack, but that's what they said it looks like! In any case, it's serious and I think he deserves to know about it!"

"We'll see," I dismissed, looking to the sky. "Renamon!"

My partner was suddenly standing there with us, as if she'd always been since we grouped together. "Do you need a lift?"

I nodded to her. "If Takato's in trouble, we'd better be there for him as quickly as we can."

Renamon looked to Hirokazu for a moment before nodding back. "I see. Your friend has a point, though. Ryo's a part of the team, and he deserves to know about this just as much as anyone else."

"But Renamon, he's…"

"Distance is no matter when it comes to friendship, Ruki," Renamon reminded. "Are you really willing to hide these things from him? What if he were to find out?"

… This was all really starting to frustrate me. "Okay, okay! Fine! You can go tell him or something! Just get me and 'Kazu to Takato's house first, please…"

Taking me in one arm and Hirokazu in the other, Renamon bounded off towards the bakery. She made sure to be careful with us… at least it was much more efficient than the average car ride.

Hirokazu looked to me, with that stupid bastard grin on his face that I always wanted to knock the teeth out of.

"Toldja so!" he taunted, sticking his tongue out at me. At that moment, I made a mental note to totally kick his ass after this was all over. Several times.

* * *

( POV – Nobody )

* * *

"This is definitely a new case of _something_," Doctor Nagano commented, leaning slowly away from her patient. A puzzled look was spread over her face as she studied the symptoms of what looked to be a severely ill Matsuda Takato.

Takato, in the past few hours since he started experiencing the pain, had barely been conscious enough to speak to anyone. His eyes were constantly shut, and the soft, red hue was still present all over his body. Despite his parents' and Digimon partner's attempts to communicate with him, Takato could only reply with strangled cries as he slightly tossed and turned, trying to dull the pain in any way he could. It was simply painful just to _watch_ him for this long.

"He won't die, will he?!" Mie blurted out, having no means of beating around the bush for such a thing.

"I don't believe he will," the doctor replied. "Then again, I can't be sure of what'll happen after this… stage of him passes. If it ever _will_ pass."

"You can't honestly say he'll stay like this **forever**, can you?" Takehiro asked, by now in a mild state of panic.

Dr. Nagano shook her head, and despite the mood of her clients, she was remaining perfectly calm. "He wouldn't stay alive very long if that were the case. But in the last fifteen minutes, your son's been much less erratic… so it may mean this will pass soon. However, this could happen again at any time… I just wish I had more concrete information on what we're dealing with here."

Obviously not understanding the medical jargon the doctor had been giving since she arrived, Guilmon looked over to his partner, and blinked, both in confusion and concern. "Is Takatomon gonna be okay…?"

Dr. Nagano looked to Guilmon and nodded, but still had a bit of stiffness about her when she communicated with the Digimon. She was given the story of how Guilmon came to be, but nonetheless, despite understanding fully what went on back when the D-Reaper was around, it was still a little awkward for her to acknowledge the dinosaur. "Just give him plenty of rest." She looked to the parents. "You might want to give him some air, too. He's obviously completely thawed out since the night before, so you don't need to worry about making it a _little_ cooler in here." She exhaled and waved a hand near her face, giving the Matsudas the impression that it **was** too warm for comfort in the room.

Takehiro nodded, and proceeded to obey the doctor's orders. Mie, however, wasn't about to leave her place. "So is that it…? You can't tell us what's wrong with him?"

"I really wish I could," Dr. Nagano said with a sigh. "But honestly, I don't believe _any_ doctor right now could tell you what exactly is going on with your son. This is definitely something new…" Briefly, she looked to Guilmon. "Since you've told me about the story of the Digimon, though, I can't help but wonder that maybe Takato's symptoms were caused by, well… something he might've encountered with one of them. Or perhaps something in that 'Digital World'?"

That thought had apparently not reached Mie yet. Quickly, she also looked to Guilmon, and if but for a brief moment, suspicion was on her face. But almost as quickly as it came… it faded.

"Guilmon would never do anything to hurt my son," Mie clarified, but almost seeming desperate to do so. Almost as if she was really _willing_ to consider that as the source of Takato's problems. "They're partners and they love and trust each other very much… but—"

"Note how I didn't say _Guilmon_ directly," Dr. Nagano interrupted. "But from what you've been telling me, Mie, Takato's been in contact with more Digimon aside from his partner. And as for the Digital World, who knows? If you didn't come along, you'd have no idea of what your son went through that could've been damaging to his health… the fact that your son's problem is unlike any illness or condition I've ever seen really supports this theory, you see."

"But why Takato?" Mie wondered aloud. "Why just him? Jenrya recovered just fine and he was in the same boat with Takato… if we don't know the problem, how can I possibly make Takato better…?"

Dr. Nagano shook her head, feeling utterly helpless for Mie. "I will admit, it seems suspicious that Takato's the only one of the eight children who've _been_ in the Digital World to actually suffer anything afterwards… especially since it's been almost three years since they left."

"It's still just a theory, isn't it?" Mie asked. "What if it _was_ just some regular Earth illness that was getting Takato? What do you think it would be then?"

Any hopeless feature on Dr. Nagano's face disappeared after that question. "Then… Mie, I would say that Takato's suffering some form of a heart failure, possibly a cancer, and would be pronounced terminally ill. If so, I couldn't imagine him living beyond the age of twenty. … If even that."

A serious look of dread overcame Mie's entire disposition. "So I'd better hope…"

"… That the Digital World caused this," Dr. Nagano finished for her. "At least with that line of thought, you can still see your son living a full life."

Mie let that thought sink into her mind for a while, before looking to the doctor and trying her best to smile. "Well… Mai, thanks for coming to check up on him."

To be referred by her first name, Dr. Nagano smiled without a problem and stood up. "Mie, don't ever hesitate to call me if you're in a medical emergency, okay? I know we've gone our separate ways since college, but… it was good to still see you again."

Mie stood up along with her longtime friend. "True… I never expected to see you again in a situation like this, but… I appreciate what you've done."

"Don't mention it," Dr. Nagano dismissed, once again looking to Takato. "However, I'm going to recommend that you schedule a check-up on Takato as soon as he's healthy enough to get out of the house. Just to make sure his physical constitution is still normal."

"I'll get on that right away," Mie promised. "I'll… call you back if anything new comes up."

Making her way out of the room, Dr. Nagano smiled again to Mie and nodded a final time. "Yes, please don't hesitate to do so. I'll do anything I can to help you."

Takehiro was almost done in cooling off the room, so Mie quickly turned to him. "Honey, I'm going to show Mai out, can you keep an eye on Takato for me until I get back?"

"Hm? Oh, um… sure, dear."

Mie smiled and turned to Dr. Nagano. "Let me pack you some of my pastries before you go. I have to repay you _somehow_…"

The two women left, leaving just Takehiro and Guilmon in the room, along with Takato. As the doctor had said, he was finally somewhat calming down. The two were not as alert and panicked as they had been before. However, Guilmon was just as confused and unaware of things as ever.

"… I don't get it," Guilmon said suddenly. "Is Takato still gonna be okay?"

"For now, I think he will," Takehiro replied hopefully. "As long as he has us… I'm pretty optimistic about how he'll turn out."

Guilmon just grinned. "I'll never leave him, just to make sure."

"Thanks for the cinnamon rolls and banana bread," Dr. Nagano thanked as she proceeded to leave the bakery. "I'll be sure to have some for dessert tonight."

"See you later, Mai," Mie called out as she saw her friend off. "I'll call you later!"

The moment Dr. Nagano had set foot out of the store, she was suddenly crowded and nearly trampled by three children and a particular creature.

"Oh my…!" the doctor forced herself up against the wall as the group sped past her, straight into the bakery, where they all hastily greeted Mie before making their way upstairs. Mie was in just as much shock as Mai.

"… I was beginning to wonder when they'd show up." Mie commented, as both women stared on.

* * *

( POV – Ruki )

* * *

"What do you mean, '_No one knows where Jenrya is_'?! He's been home **all day**!" Good LORD. What is WITH all these people running off?! Juri's absence was leaving me plenty furious already… but **Jenrya**? Where the hell could HE be?

"That's what his mom said to me!" Kenta shouted, trying to be louder than I was. "But we checked his bedroom and he wasn't there! We checked every freaking room of the apartment! We even asked Terriermon… **no one** knows, Ruki!"

"That's stupid, why would he sneak out?!" Hirokazu shouted, also about as pissed as I was. "He's probably not even healthy enough for that! At least with Juri it's believable!"

"And Juri's been _here_ all day!" I acknowledged; my tone of voice none-too pleasant at all. "What's with her and the disappearing act?!"

"Everyone, _please_ calm down!" Mr. Matsuda suddenly cut in, clearly exasperated with us when we barely had an argument going. Must've been a tougher day for him than I thought… "You're not solving anything, nor helping Takato by all this senseless screaming. And I apologize for Juri… allegedly running off on you like this. The last time Mie and I saw of her, she said she was going out to pick up you all from school."

"Well, I doubt she got lost," I replied, annoyance factor raising high in my voice, and everyone knew it. And here I thought I couldn't be pissed at Juri for anything… "And I don't even want to think about what Jen's story might be."

"So what do you expect us to do about it?" Kenta inquired. "I mean, it's not like we can track them on radar or anything."

I huffed in frustration and turned to my Digimon. "Renamon, put that Ryo command on hold for a while. You think you can try and track down our runaway buddies?"

"With no leads to go by, I can't guarantee that I'll find either of them," Renamon forewarned, and she was pretty much the _only_ one in the room who wasn't throwing a hissy fit about something. "But I will do my best."

"It's the best thing next to radar," Hirokazu said with a nod. "Scold them for us if you find them, okay?"

"Don't worry," I assured. "She'll find them. Good luck, Renamon."

Renamon stood straight. "I'll be back as soon as I can." And with that, she teleported… and was thusly gone.

Kenta didn't waste any time, and turned right to our reason for coming here. "So, lay it on us. What's up with Takato…?"

Takato himself wasn't looking so hot. Or cool might be a better word… his skin was the _oddest_ shade of red… from his legs to his arms, and even his face. Hell… I think his HAIR was even starting to look as red as mine was! It was obvious that at some point he'd woken up… he knew we were here, and he was trying direly to talk to us, but wasn't really getting that far. He just looked like he'd been put on the torture rack, and was still there being tortured. … No clues came in mind as to **what** in the world happened. So I made sure to pay attention closely to Mr. Matsuda.

"Well, I think for a moment he was coming out of his coma," he explained. "Just this morning… but the rest of us were asleep at the time, because the first thing we saw after waking up was Takato falling back onto his bed, as if he'd been sitting up on his own just recently. Then this… odd light took over his body, and he's been in pain ever since, and something seems to be bothering his heart area… he's spent most of his time grasping at it."

"Sure doesn't sound like pneumonia to me," Hirokazu stated oh-so obviously. "Kenta, didn't your dad have some medical schooling?"

"Doesn't mean I know jack squat on illnesses," Kenta replied, rolling his eyes. "Didn't you call a doctor, Mr. Matsuda?"

"She just left," Mr. Matsuda said, pointing to the door as if that was supposed to clarify his point. "And apparently she doesn't know what's wrong with him either… but she did say that Takato seems to be stabilizing and recovering from it, so we're hoping he might be able to actually speak with us after this completely blows over."

"Somehow I doubt even _he'll_ know what just happened to him," Kenta pessimistically commented. "But it'd be great if he actually woke up by tonight."

"If he recovers tonight, can he come to school tomorrow?" Hirokazu asked, and to this I just smacked my hand against my forehead. What a _dumb_ question to ask at a time like this…

Mr. Matsuda apparently knew this too, because he took his sweet time replying to that. "… We'll see how he's feeling first, okay?"

"Wonder if Jenrya had anything useful to say before he ran off," I mumbled, realizing that Victim #2's been conscious for almost 12 hours now. And now he hightails it? It's almost a bit _suspicious_ considering the circumstances we're dealing with now…

"We don't know," Mr. Matsuda said with a sigh. "They never really told us much after confirming that he woke up. …I hope Takato's not the next one to run away after he recovers."

"That's just messed up," Kenta remarked with a flinch. "What's with everyone doing the disappearing act?"

"Renamon will find them," I reassured, narrowing my eyes. "I'm sure they'll have a nice story for us when they come back."

Sometimes I hoped I was always as sure as I sounded…

Poor Takato. I kind of felt sorry for him. Juri and Jenrya were pretty much his best friends… and they're **both** not here for him in his time of need? What could POSSIBLY be a higher priority to them?!

* * *

( POV – Nobody )

* * *

"I… think I might be lost…" Juri said quietly, and nervously to herself as she continued walking down an endless dark alleyway for what seemed like the entire day. Was it _even_ daytime? The whole sky was black, yet starless and moonless… it didn't seem like there were any clouds. But the general details of **everything** were beginning to deteriorate into nothing, the more Juri continued to walk. Almost as if she wasn't really in _reality_ anymore, but like a cheap virtual game… like that shoddy Virtual Boy that only displayed two colors.

But this was even worse. It wasn't even black and red. It was black and _white_; the white being the outlines… the dark being the color of the spaces. For Juri, it was especially a very disorienting experience. But it didn't matter which way she walked; and being in an alleyway, there was only two ways she could walk, anyhow. Forward, backward… it didn't matter. No matter how long she went on in either direction, she was still in the same space.

"It's okay!" her faithful Puppet barked out. "Just follow the Yellow Brick Roooooad…"

Juri just frowned. "Great, I wonder when I'll find something that's actually yellow…"

"Don't underestimate the power of Colecovision!"

"The Colecovision _had color_," Juri corrected her Puppet. "The correct term would be, 'A Colecovision plugged into a 1940s television'. You think you're so smart."

"Ruff!" The Puppet yelped. "Shall I get one of my underlings to help us relocate the Yellow Brick Road? Of course, the Munchkins were always such liars… they tried to send us down to _Hell_ by that road! I bet the Red Brick Road was an easier shortcut!"

"Shut up," Juri mumbled, halfway fed up with the whole ordeal. "Your underlings can't help you, and there _aren't_ any Munchkins."

"Bark bark bark," The Puppet taunted. "Juri isn't usually this negative! Whatever happened to the slogan she adopted after the D-Reaper incident?"

This made Juri raise an eyebrow. "_We Can Do Anything, if we do it together?_" She asked, almost perplexed.

"That's riiiiight," The Puppet recalled almost longingly. "Nothing ever came good of believing the opposite."

"I hate to break this to you," Juri said crossly, narrowing her eyes and covering her Puppet's mouth. "But there is no **We** in this group, so what exactly can I do when I'm all alone?"

Only garbled, unintelligible words came from the Puppet's clenched together mouth.

Juri looked up in the bland sky in despair and heaved out a sigh. "Exactly. I'm beginning to doubt if I'll _ever_ get out of here…" Almost forcibly, she removed The Puppet from her hand and left it on the ground, which was just as black and empty as the sky, of course. Folding her arms, she continued onward without it.

**"You're a stupid girl to think you're alone in this place."**

That was more than enough to make Juri turn completely around. "W-who's there?!"

Juri didn't like what she saw behind her. It was her eternally insane Puppet… _floating_ in the air, all by itself; the maroon beaded eyes were glowing and looking redder than brown.

**"Please don't continue your stupidity, thinking that this is a dream, ****Juri Katou**

Gasping, Juri put a hand to her mouth, trying to cover how gaping wide open it was. "Y… you're alive…!"

**"I'm glad you realize that. I hope you also realize that staying optimistic in a place like this is quite useless. There really **_**is**_** no escape. Metaphorically speaking, anyway."**

Juri was just barely paying attention. "W… who are you?" She suddenly felt compelled to rest her arms and just let them hang… for some reason, she wasn't exactly expecting to defend herself in this confrontation, despite how much sense it would make if that _were_ the case.

**"That actually doesn't matter right now. What **_**does**_** matter is your stupid insistence on lying to yourself, as you've constantly kept assuring to yourself that 'Everything's ****going to**** be okay' ever since you were rescued from that D-Reaper."**

"You know the D-Reaper?" Juri breathed out, now just wondering like crazy who could be channeling through her Puppet.

**"Who doesn't? Anyway, you were right the first time, ****Juri Katou****. You're all alone, and while you remain that way, you're doomed to cope with this darkness all by your lonesome, and you'll never be able to escape it. You'll surely make it back into your 'real world' in some way or another, but I promise you, this place will on-and-off haunt you for **_**the rest of your life**_

Now she was paying attention… but that faith-destroying statement didn't make her feel any better. After all, it was insisting that she was doomed! But for what? It didn't seem this spiritual force would be willing to answer that just yet…

"Isn't there anyone else here? Someone who can… help me? Can't _you_ help me?"

**"I am clearly convinced that you're doomed, therefore I am of no use to you. However, there is a boy who's not far away from you now… someone on the same wavelength as you, just about. In mind and soul… he's your way out of the darkness, for now. When you join and reconcile, you'll have your moment of freedom."**

Unsure but determined, Juri stepped toward her clearly possessed Puppet. "Well… who is he? I'll look for him! And I'll get out of this place, and you won't see me back again! I don't have the time… I've got a friend who needs me now!"

**"Ah yes, that friend. ****Takato ****Matsuda, isn't it? He's the reason why you're here now. Your abnormal amounts of worry and concern for him made you think of the worst case scenarios. All that negative energy brings you here, where nothing can ever be positive. And thus, you have nothing to worry about. All ends as the same here."**

"I'm not going to blame Takato for being stuck in this stupid one-dimensional place!" Juri shouted out. "And I'm **never** coming back here ever again! Not if I can help it… just tell me who to look for and I'll be gone!"

It was normally very unlike Juri to be this bitter and demanding… all of a sudden she was feeling like _Ruki_. As a result, she was feeling bad about herself for not handling such things the right way… was it really her own faults that sent her here? The worse she felt, the more uncomfortable her surroundings became. Almost as if they were turning _darker_ along with her general disposition and mood…

**"Yes, your time's running out, isn't it? Time before you truly **_**are**_** trapped here forever… but it's good you're still so determined, even though you know as well as I do that you're doomed in the long run."**

"I didn't say we agreed on anything," Juri hissed through her teeth. "Now _tell me who to find_."

**"Oh well. You'll certainly fall harder than your equally doomed partner, that's for sure. … You'd know him as ****Jenrya ****Lee."**

Juri wasn't expecting that answer at all… "J-Jenrya's here too?!"

**"He's around here somewhere, but he's been a lot more consenting to his doom than you have. And to think, he was brought here for the same reasons as yourself… but I suppose that's a useless observation, isn't it?"**

But Juri had already left after The Puppet's earlier sentence. Leaving his last to go to waste... and thusly, Juri had left her possessed Puppet behind.

**"Pity. Pity. Pity. Then again, I can't expect that girl to be exactly as consenting as the boy was. It's not like **_**she**_** was born inherently dark…"**

The Puppet had fallen, the glowing eyes dimming to its normal maroon color. Never before had it looked so lifeless… dark, cloud-like energy seemed to be the only thing giving the Puppet such life. It seemed to be _trying_ to form into a vaguely familiar human body, but it wasn't quite there yet…

Almost eagerly, it watched Juri run further into the dark, desolate world of mystery. Right up until she herself could no longer be seen.

**"For your sake, ****Juri**** Katou****, you'd better hope if you **_**are**_** dragged down, it's by your own doing and not ****Jenrya Lee'****s****. After all, it won't do **_**his**_** conscience any good to know he's taken down a fellow Tamer… even if you are just a **_**former**_** Tamer."**

His ending statement was completed with an utterly sadistic laughter, as he dispersed to where _he_ belonged… in his soul.

* * *

( TBC ) 


	8. Jenrya and Juri

**( Notes**

**And then we've got this chapter, which is huge, and honestly… probably **_**the**_** most out-there chapter so far. I remember this significantly being a strain on my poor sanity when I initially wrote this, but reflecting on it now, I rather enjoy it. If for nothing else, the non-romantic Jenrya and Juri interaction, as well as the tidbits of Renamon and Terriermon. The main antagonist is now a bit fleshed out, and needless to say, he'll be sticking around for quite some time. I'm even thinking of going ahead and putting him in his ultimate form before chapter 10 ends. Lots of loose Adventure tie-ins to be had here, with even more crest implications and what appears to be the second cousin once-removed of the Dark Ocean. Stunningly narrow chapter cast-wise, yes. The following chapters will broaden it out a bit, though 9 will have it still pretty narrow. At least, this time, it's in a more humorous light. ****This?**** This is pretty much pure sci-fi. All the more reason to cut loose with it, right? )**

* * *

( POV – Nobody )

* * *

By now, Jenrya had given up trying to figure out where he was at the moment. From all his experiences with both Earth and the Digital World, there had surely been no place quite as dark, bleak, and utterly hopeless as this. Of course, it didn't add up as to _how_ he got into this world in the first place; all he was doing originally was stepping outside for a breath of fresh air. Being held captive in his overheated bedroom made him eager to escape and cool off the first chance he got. Naturally, his parents and siblings were far too paranoid to just let him go wherever he wanted… it hadn't yet even been a day since Jenrya regained his consciousness. They insisted he stayed home from school today, backing up their decision by telling him that Takato hadn't recovered yet, and so he wouldn't see him there anyway.

Like Takato, Jenrya had found himself coming up empty when it came to recalling last night's events. He well enough remembered how mad he was at Rinchei and more so Jaarin… but anything about freezing to death in a lake wasn't making its presence known in his memory. It was particularly odd, as Jenrya knew he had no problems with his long and short-term memory… why would he forget such a life-threatening event?

That was, more or less, one of the major reasons Jenrya chose to step outside when nobody was around to witness it, and tattle on Janyuu and Mayumi. He felt he needed the fresh air to clear his head… as he was still reasonably a little ill from such a severe case of pneumonia, and god knows what else. But ever since his Tamer adventures ended, Jenrya found it a little strange that he was suddenly involved in some situation with a purely innocent festival, which almost cost him his life, as well as Takato's. He wasn't Hirokazu; not someone who would just fling themselves into a life-threatening event. Jenrya was smarter than that… if he almost died, there'd be a good reason for how it would've happened.

Yet the details were drawing up as blanks in Jenrya's head.

It took a little time… but eventually after a hard, long time of silence and thinking, it seemed as if _some_ form of detail was starting to regain form in his memory. It was very slight, and most likely not an important detail at all in the long run, but it was something at the very least.

And then, the darkness came, as if day was passing into night naturally, but fast-forwarded. When the sun was hidden by the hills and the various skyscrapers of Shinjuku, Jenrya was not met by a usual calm night-time setting. The front door, the hallway lining the apartments, the apartment building itself… and all of the natural surroundings of the city that Jenrya had practically grown up with… all of it faded into a hazy nothingness. Black, maroon, and royal purple… these were the only colors available in the new setting.

Jenrya only briefly shouted, for he realized when his voice almost immediately bounced back at him in an echo, and therefore could draw the one disturbing conclusion of his status: he was completely **alone** in this dimension.

The echo range concerned Jenrya, leading him to believe he was in a tightly concealed trap. And yet, the moment he thought that, a solid white lined vertical row of squares appeared before him, starting right where he stood. With no proper lighting, and _every_ angle of this dimension looking exactly the same, Jenrya couldn't make heads or tails of anything. But now with the existence of the simplistic pathway, he could understand that it was somewhat of a tunnel, going straight ahead in one direction. As far as he could see, there was no fabled 'light at the end of the tunnel', but logic told him anything was better than standing around, not doing anything.

So cautiously, Jenrya strolled down the pathway, and as he kept observing his new unworldly surroundings from left to right, he realized that _nothing_ was changing at all. The lighting and overall pattern of the background remained constant and repeating no matter how far he walked, or which angle he looked in. After a certain amount of time, Jenrya reached the end of the path, where the lined squares promptly cut off. There was no wall… just the path continuing along. It was confusing for Jenrya… unsure whether or not to press on, or wait right at the end of the trail and see if something would happen.

He did the wise thing and waited… ever so patiently, as he always did. But when his patience wore thin from aggravation in this new, lonely world, Jenrya scoffed at the idea of staying any longer, and proceeded beyond the given path.

And that's when the darkness came like a snap. Jenrya was then surrounded in **total** darkness.

During this quiet time, he was given more time to think about the situation with him, Takato, and the festival… after all, with no one around to say anything, and there was NOTHING to observe now, Jenrya figured he might as well… think of something that might get him somewhere.

That's when he heard the voice; the sickeningly putrid, yet all too familiar accompanying voice.

Jenrya tried to remain calm… truly, he did. But the patronizing tone of the voice was intensely grating on his nerves, and by now he was ready to do anything just to escape. Back to home… back to his family, and friends.

He insisted to end the darkness, despite the voice's warnings. He wanted to _see_ just what was so horrible; what was worth giving up all his determination for going home. And finally, when he saw… where he had been this whole time, Jenrya really wished he'd think _'I shouldn't be such a smartass sometimes.'_ but instead…

Instead… he had thought, _'Th… this place feels so familiar…'_

The familiar swirled colors of black, maroon and purple had made a return. This time he was accompanied with some lighting, making it seem like he was in a _room_ for once… and all to make him more 'comfy' was a batch of slippery, sticky, steaming wet black slime, from the floor, thin and thick trails alike escalating to the ceiling. Jenrya himself was nowhere near floor level… he was stuck right in the middle, held securely by said slime. The slick, oily strands of slime clung faithfully to Jenrya's legs, arms, torso, and neck as if it were a sling. It was right against a larger tower of slime, the main one of the batch.

Jenrya was _covered_. His legs could only twitch around, his arms were stiffly bounded within the slime, only allowing his fingers to squirm around uselessly, as Jenrya realized in his position, he couldn't simply rip the slime off from him. His torso was only partially covered at a diagonal angle, but he didn't even _need_ to be covered that much… his body refused to move against the material holding him captive.

It was sickening… yet for some reason Jenrya couldn't exactly feel overly panicked about anything. Somehow, he had a feeling he'd be getting out of this alive and unscathed… physically anyway. He wasn't quite sure about his mental state… he already felt like it was being manipulated somehow. However, he had no idea how to stop it…

**Don't waste your timing fighting back****. You'll be fine."**

Jenrya snapped from his trance and looked ahead. Hovering at his level was a rather pathetically built body made entirely of some gaseous black material. It didn't really have enough detail to it to look like anybody… but it almost seemed human. Almost.

"So," Jenrya began, with an all-too cynical and annoyed look to his face. "This is it? The place you thought I wouldn't like to see? _Please_, I've been through worse…" He attempted to make some attempt at moving in the captive slime, but it was clear he wasn't going anywhere. "Except I have all of… whatever _this_ is on me."

**"So you don't fear the true essence of darkness?"**

"I don't see what's so scary about it, honestly," Jenrya admitted, examining it. He was sure it didn't _scare_ him… but deep inside himself, Jenrya knew somehow it was inwardly affecting him. Something didn't feel right at all. But it wasn't fear Jenrya was plagued with… he didn't know _what_ else it could've been, however. "But it's really grotesque. Could you call it off and let me out of here?"

**"Why would I do that?"**

That remark pissed Jenrya off. It was sassy and incriminating to him… and his patience was just about empty at this point "Because you _obviously_ thought you could scare me with this cheap 'darkness' and as it turns out, it didn't work. Now if you're **done**, I'd like to get back home."

**"And how exactly would you **_**know**_** that I only did this to scare you?"** The sentient fog's 'eyes' narrowed… if it had a discernible mouth, it probably would've been smirking. **"For all you know, I could've just put you in radioactive substances and mutated you into a monster. I could just be leaving you hanging there to starve you, or better yet it could be a perfect bound position for you so I could just kill you on the spot. You know how logical it is, as I am a total stranger to you. Yet, you initially think I'm only doing this to scare you?"**

A dull pain coursed into Jenrya's mind, as he couldn't believe this disfigured blob of smoke was actually meaning to have some sort of logical conversation with him. He obviously didn't look forward to arguing his way out of this; he was still feeling a little sick and he'd do anything to be back in his bed now. But as it was… he realized he was practically at this stranger's mercy. Until he found a way to break free from his ghastly prison, he'd likely have to hang around for just a while longer.

"You didn't kill me when you had the chance to earlier," Jenrya admitted, casting his eyes away from the patronizing figure. "Unless you're some kind of sadist, I'm guessing you wanted me to be here for a reason. So if you'd just get to your point already…"

The host didn't seem to care much for Jenrya's well being as it was. Then again, as little detailed it was, there probably would've been no conceivable way for it to show a form of emotion anyway. **"It's your own fault, don't you see? It wasn't me who brought you to this miserable ****dimension****. You brought **_**yourself**_** here. ****It was an e****ntirely self-inflicted situation."** The tone of the figure's voice was scarily familiar. It harkened back to an old, popular tone Ruki often liked abusing: demeaning. That was the only like quality to Jenrya's reluctant ally, however; the voice was easily a male's.

"That doesn't make _any_ sense at all," Jenrya angrily spat out, as he felt deeply offended for even _hearing_ how this rotten mass of nothingness was trying to twist around this conversation and making it out to be his fault. And he was right; it _didn't _make sense. Jenrya had no idea such a place of this even existed… heaven forbid he'd ever want to visit it! "All I did was go outside to clear my head… I wasn't secretly wishing to be thrown into a dimension I know nothing about; I was _trying_ to remember how I almost died this past weekend! How could you misinterpret that?!"

**"This is exactly why you're in this position."** The vaporous mass said oh-so casually, like he expected Jenrya to know what would happen if he dared try to recall… **"It frustrates you, doesn't it? Because no matter how hard you try… you have no hope whatsoever of recalling what happened ****that**** night." **

"I don't have to listen to you trying to shoot me down when I've barely had a chance to try," Jenrya said with a grumble, as he put more effort into attempting to move his limbs. He was barely faring any better than he had at the beginning. "But I _would_ like to know who or what _you_ are, sneaking around, stealing me off the streets practically, pretending you know everything about me and all what's going on here…"

Jenrya's loathsome company cut him off before he could finish the sentence. **"What's the harm in believing me? I've already made it clear that I'm not here to harm you. After all… if I didn't know you, ****and that seems to be what you believe****… I suppose I'd have to be some kind of fantastical psychic to… already know about your night in the festival."** There was a short, but agonizing pause as Jenrya, realizing this, wasn't ready to reply… **"Down to the very last detail****, even**

The thought of this absolute stranger knowing what had happened when Jenrya himself didn't… nor anybody else for that matter… he frantically shook his head, trying to eliminate any ounce of sense the earlier theory had now made. "Y-you're a **liar**! How could you know ANYTHING that happened between me and my friends?! Who ARE you?!"

The stranger seemed to cast its deformed face to the side now. **Y****ou're**** not**** ready for that kind of enlightenment yet… come to think of it, I don't think you're ready for anything… not at this point." **The averted gaze was suddenly looking right into Jenrya's face again. **"I'm not expecting you to accept this**** about yourself**** right now… but you can't handle the truth very well."**

"Will you _stop_ acting like you know me?" Jenrya asked impatiently, narrowing his eyes… looking utterly annoyed. "Because you don't! Not many people do…!" He was riled up from saying that, realizing just now how true his words seemed to be… Jenrya wasn't sure he was comfortable with the fact that barely anyone knew him that well. It didn't seem to bother him too much in the past… but now…

… It seemed to hurt.

**"You're… right on that, at least,"** the stranger credited, moving ever so slightly closer to his prisoner. **"It's true; not many people know the real ****Jenrya Lee****. How could they… you've hardly opened up to anyone your entire life. Even to your own family… a busy, hardworking father, a mother that has the daily task of raising her two sons and two daughters the best way she can to ensure their full, well-lived lives…"** Cautiously, it placed a hand (though it looked more like a stubbed arm) on the greasy, dark slime that kept Jenrya securely in place. It was very subtle… but the slime emitted a slight (but brief) glow upon the figure's touch. Jenrya was too deep in thought, letting the figure's words course through his mind… he barely noticed what was happening.

**"And what have you given to your family? You well enough know… you were too afraid to stand out after you accidentally hurt one of your neighbors. You ****remained**** in the background since that event, not ever daring to assert yourself… what few times you did, it only caused trouble****, remember?**

Jenrya slumped… his own mind torn between how _accurate_ these words on his history were, and how on earth this disrespectful blob would just magically know this. _'W…why is he so __**right**__ about this…?_' He thought… as the regret inside him was balling up and swelling by now. _'How could he __**know**__? It's… it's like he's not even reading my mind… he just automatically knows it! As if my mind were… were…_'

**"My own?"**

Eyes widened and beads of sweat well into formation… Jenrya was instantly shocked back into reality with those two words from his mysterious acquaintance.

"You…"

The figure almost seemed offended itself. **"Please, don't be so rude to interrupt me with your nagging little thoughts. As I said… you didn't feel comfortable being an active member of your own family. Rinchei and Jaarin had already excelled at sports and generally being popular. Even your little sister, Shuichon… you're three years her senior, yet she's al****ready one step ahead of you; she's a well-loved, positive influence throughout her age group****This doesn't discount your own achievements**** as**** you've long been at the top of your grade when it comes to academics… but when you're intensely popular, high grades are a staple in the strengths of those gifted."** There was another pause. **"Until your Digimon came, you were no more special than your brother and sisters. You were the one lacking."**

" … Why are you telling me this?" Jenrya pleaded. His eyes were wide and watering with the depressing memories coming back to haunt him. "What do you _want_ from me…? I don't _care_ how you know all of this anymore… my past life _isn't_ what I'm having memory issues with right now, okay?! I **know** I can't live up to the expectations of my family! I _know_ I was a miserable, terrible person when I was younger! But what is this all _for_? What are you trying to prove?!"

There was no mercy to be had just yet; the sentient fog almost completely ignored the questioning. **"You saved the world… but by then you weren't so special. Shuichon had her own Digimon. Rinchei and Jaarin were obviously well off enough to not need their own… you know how it didn't affect them to know that they weren't going to be Tamers like their kid siblings. They've grown and moved on… and knowing that you couldn't stand out anymore just from being a Tamer… you went back to where you were before. After the D-Reaper and Parasimon… you've returned back into your niche. You don't care if anything else ever shoves you out of it again… because you're not even worth being recognized. You **_**never**_** were." **

Jenrya direly wanted his arms to be free _at least_. He couldn't face this patronizing shadow blob now… he hadn't looked this emotionally killed in ages. His eyes were well beyond the stage of welling up with tears… but Jenrya relentlessly held back on officially crying. He clenched his eyes shut and refused to show his entire face to this _thing_ by bowing his head down as far as it would go. His limbs were twitching, though they still had no way of going anywhere…

"Why won't you stop…?" He managed out through his quick, panicked breaths. "What… do I have to do to get you to **SHUT UP?!** Tell me!"

**"It's a very simple matter,"** the figure said, as if he expected Jenrya to understand the motives all along. **"You want to know what happened to you and your friend at the festival, don't you?"** It heard no verbal response, just frustrated sniffling and panting from the other side. _**Don't**_** you?" **It asked a little louder.

"Of _course_ I do!!" Jenrya cried out. "Isn't that obvious?!"

**"And I recall you wanting to know what this place is… who I am, and why you're here."**

"Naturally!"

The mysterious host just sighed in its own frustration. **"Then I say that you can't handle the truth… you start telling me I'm full of it… and then I merely talk about some events in your past life, events that you **_**know by heart**_**because they've tortured you **_**every day of your life**_**… and look at you now. You can't even handle acknowledging that." **

Jenrya could tell where this stranger was going with the explanation. He simply didn't _deserve_ to know yet, apparently. And the fact was something Jenrya had a hard time living down…

**"And you think I'm going to break any **_**more**_** news to you? You should see yourself in a mirror right now. If I were you…"** the muggy stranger paused again… this time Jenrya noticed that this was an awkward place to pause at, too. **"… Heh, if I were you, I would like to think I'd be better off just not knowing what happened. Some knowledge just isn't worth completely losing your mind over. Sure, it might be **_**nice**_** to know just what happened that almost made you and Takato lose your lives, but the point is… you aren't ready to come to terms with the how and why. You aren't ready to know who I am, ****Jenrya Lee****. Until you can learn how to cope with changes in your life, you're much better off being oblivious to what's happening around you right now.**** You do know that saying, right? Ignorance is bliss.**

"So what's the point of keeping me here for?!" Jenrya shouted out, full of unwilling rage… as if he had trouble admitting even to himself that he probably couldn't handle the truth. "You _won't_ tell me anything regarding why I'm even here in the first place. Naturally I'd be insistent to get my answers to the **very** end…" Jenrya seemed to sink more into the captive slime… and just _remembering_ those disgusting binds still existed all over him seemed to finally just make Jenrya lose it in general. He lifted his head in order to meet this figure face to face, even if it lacked a discernible one.

He opened his eyes, each unleashing a single tear stream at the moment. His gray eyes, despite their neutral tone, almost looked on fire now.

"But right now… I just want to go home!! This is ALL probably just some messed up dream from the medication anyway, because if this really **was** happening to me, you can be absolutely _certain_ that I wouldn't be hanging here in your horrible dimension for as long as I've been!"

The figure observed his captive with the utmost silence… almost as if he expected this sudden violent reaction.

"I don't care how much you happen to know about my life… you _don't_ know me, and all I can say in **your** case is that you're arrogant _well_ beyond a fault, and you really should focus on something more relevant, like your own life! Even if it's painfully obvious you have none to speak of!" Jenrya was definitely no longer himself… sweating intensely, forming fists and acting as if he'd be able to break out of the slime all on his own. His eyes were murderously focused on his opponent… the well-mannered, mild-tempered Jenrya had snapped. If _only_ it could've been from a frivolous situation akin to the time where he argued with Shuichon in the Digital World. Instead, it was from someone that barely resembled a human being, who practically had Jenrya at his mercy, and reveled in this fact by mocking every single aspect of his life.

All of this, while Jenrya could only hang there and listen to every painstakingly accurate word.

**"You think I don't even deserve to live****H****ow selfish of you."**

Momentarily, Jenrya was stunned. This mockery of a human form had just guessed what he was going to say next… and couldn't guess more correctly. The surprise in Jenrya's face once more faded into raw hatred.

Despite the increasing tension from this debate, the sentient fog did not look phased in the least. **"In any case, you ****needn't**** rush yourself right now with knowing all there is to know about your current problem. If you search deep inside your heart… into your very soul, you're going to find your answer in due time.**** It has nothing to do with how ready you are to hear the truth.**

Cheesy and cliché as it sounded, Jenrya found himself seeing logic in the statement…

**That said****, you're not even close to ready to finding out… ****and at this stage, you aren't**** even capable of getting the answer from your own memory. But you ****shouldn't fret over it****. Because this isn't the last time you'll be here with me."** Limited at the figure's emotions were, it almost seemed delighted saying that Jenrya would be visiting again. **"In fact, I'm sure it won't be long before I see you here very soon for a second try. Things are going to feel very different for you when you return home today, ****Jenrya Lee****. You can consider this a promise."**

Jenrya was doing everything in his power to keep himself from exploding in a fit of rage once again. The best he could manage was a straightforward death glare through his clenched teeth right at the floating body mass. He couldn't even bring himself to form words to this obvious fraud of a human being.

The smoke itself only tsked, sensing the boy's mental death wishes. **"One thing you might want to consider: it's awfully contradicting of a pacifis****t like you to suddenly want**** a total stranger like me to be dead… **_**for no reason at all**_

That had done it. Jenrya's rage was instantly changed into broken uncertainty. So many times today this figure has practically read his mind as if it was a giant open book for him to see… he was _itching_ to know who this was, doing such a horrible thing… but once more, what little confidence Jenrya still had was shot down when he did realize that he wasn't ready to know **anything** yet. Not even so much as the stranger's name… i_f_ it had one.

Finally, the body of dark gaseous material started floating backwards, away from Jenrya until he was barely visible. Despite this, this entire realm was defying every law of physics it could, and Jenrya could still clearly hear his host's last words, as a sudden beam of light shone from the top of the domain. He was too weary to tell, but it almost seemed to Jenrya as if he was moving up towards the light, though he was still as trapped as ever in the slime…

Before Jenrya was consumed into a white nothingness… he could only hear one last statement from the only one who was there to talk to him during his time in the most twisted world ever.

**"Know this: You may not know anything yet on what happened… but **_**always**_** stay on your feet, ****Jenrya Lee****. Above all**** else… follow your gut instinct,****f****or it's only your gut instinct that truly knows everything at this point. … And it's your only hope for you not doing something you'll later regret."**

* * *

( POV – Nobody )

* * *

Juri had no idea how long she'd been running now… but what more could she do outside of running until she couldn't run anymore? She soon realized it didn't matter which way she ran; all directions were giving her the same thing: nothing. Everything was the same, one-dimensional as always, black surroundings with only a white outline tiled pathway.

But Juri knew _anything_ was better than just standing around and doing nothing at all. It wasn't like there was anything to analyze, and there were certainly no obvious openings for a possible escape. If there was any chance of an escape at all, Juri well knew that she'd have to find it herself. All the while, however… she couldn't stop thinking about her situation aside from the immediate one. Takato was sicker than ever, Jenrya's disappeared… and Juri couldn't do anything to help them until she was able to find her way back home… or at the very least, back into her _own_ world. It was obvious; she wasn't in Shinjuku anymore.

"It's like it doesn't matter where I go, or how much I keep going," Juri sighed to herself, as she slowed to a stop, feeling fatigue rear its ugly head. It was time to rest and catch her breath. "It's all been the same thing since I got here… isn't there **any** way out of this?"

With no living soul to answer her question, Juri's anxiety could only grow. Her only options were quite simple: give up, or keep going. But she didn't know just how much more she could take. How was she going to be able to tell when she was doing the right or wrong thing? What could possibly signal such a thing in this world? A world where length was meaningless and puppets could talk? How was Juri going to know how to do things?

Two plus two could equal _fish_ in this world, for all she knew!

"… And puppets could talk!" Juri repeated that part of her thought pattern. Her eyes lit up, but by no means in a positive way. "I… I dropped him a while ago! … I forgot to pick him up…"

"Bark bark bark! This was a bad thing for Juri to do!"

Upon hearing another voice, Juri quickly turned around, to find her Puppet floating on its own again. Its eyes were glowing, just like last time. However, this time, it oddly didn't seem as sinister.

"Abandoning me, your lifelong partner; how dare you! I _always_ listened to your problems! And this is how I'm repaid?"

For a little while, Juri wasn't sure how to respond. After all, she was talking with her _Puppet_… something she'd had ages ago for self-help issues after her mother died. Since then, she'd never had the heart to part with it… nonetheless, Juri wasn't crazy. She knew something odd was going on if her own Puppet suddenly had the ability to **really** converse with her.

"BAD!" The Puppet chanted. "You've totally hurt my feelings from your neglect! How do you like _them_ apples?! Doesn't it suck, being alone and ignored?"

By now, Juri was incapable of looking anything but completely frightened. Despite it, she still remained calm within herself. "W-well… how about we talk about this at a later time? Like, when… we find a way out of here? I don't know about you, but I don't want to stay in this place forever." She looked once more at her surroundings… as they were still remaining the same. It was like an endless maze of _the same thing._

"And… I think until we get some real help, I think we **are** doomed to stay here forever…"

"Have you given up hope on escaping on your own?" The Puppet inquired.

"Put yourself in my shoes," Juri challenged, looking to her feet. "There's _nobody else_ here. This world defies every physical law of Earth, so I doubt we're even there anymore. It doesn't matter which way I run, or how long I keep going in a particular direction; everything's the same. I'm sure you've realized this, but have you noticed that even though I can still move around freely, it looks like I'm going absolutely nowhere at all?"

The Puppet almost seemed to nod. "You probably are going nowhere. So there's no chance of finding an exit anywhere if you can't naturally progress!"

"Look, the way things here work may be screwed up beyond reason, but I'm still pinned down here by Earth's laws," Juri reminded. "It's not like I can just fly around here, or walk on walls, or just magically defy everything like this place has managed to. It's like I wasn't _meant_ to be here. If I can't escape by walking, then I'd be safe to assume that I'm going to be here forever, you know!"

"So you've already tried," her Puppet noted. "I imagine it does seem hopeless now, then?"

"You're obviously not helping," Juri muttered, sitting down and leaning against her risen knees. "I've tried everything… everything that's come to my mind so far. Nothing matters anymore… how long have we been here again?"

"There's really no way of telling. The rules of time apparently don't apply here either."

Juri sighed in frustration. "And I haven't seen Jenrya at _all_…" She immediately eyed her Puppet. "In fact, it was **you** who said I'd find him here! You said if I could find him, he'd take me out of this place and back home!"

"Oh, now you're _accusing_ me?" The Puppet whined. "That's not like you, Juri. Not like you at all."

"There's obviously _someone_ else here if you were able to get possessed…"

The Puppet gasped, almost sounding hurt. "H-how could you! Treating me like I don't exist… that I don't have my own soul…"

"_Please_," Juri interrupted as loudly as she could, looking nothing but aggravated. "I'm tired of this game. I've moved on from my problems years ago… I don't need all this just to remind me of 'darkness' or whatever. If Jenrya's really here, I want to find him, and get out of here. Is that just too much to ask?!"

"If you're certain you want to leave…"

"Of **course** I do!" Juri exclaimed. "Why would I want to stay here?!"

"You almost gave up hope right then and there before I showed up," The Puppet pointed out. "You already look like you're throwing in the towel. Are you solely relying on me to help you out of this place?" Despite these emotional responses the Puppet was throwing at Juri, it was still retaining the same dead, soul-less expression it always had, minus the glowing eyes.

"You're all I've got," Juri whispered. "Otherwise, what choice do I have…? I'm practically doomed if I don't have any help… I'll just be here forever…"

"Because you have no hope for yourself…" The Puppet whispered back.

This made Juri snap out of her depression and stare at her Puppet. "Huh…?"

There was no response, but finally, some changes were taking place. Unfortunately, it wasn't a very promising change. Overall, things were getting darker… now to the point where it obscured Juri's vision. Despite being in a dimension where it was completely black and not much else, things seemed well enough illuminated to where she could see herself just fine, and also now her Puppet. Now that was no longer the case… almost everything seemed dark now.

Juri could no longer see The Puppet. She pulled out her hand and noted that she _could_ still see that… only because the hand was outlined simply in yellow. Looking herself over, Juri realized she herself was more or less an outline, just like her surroundings, which by now had vanished.

"W-what…?" She wondered out loud, standing up and actively looking around. "Where did you go?!"

When she heard no answer, Juri's shoulders slumped. … She was all alone again. Her situation only seemed to get worse; now she had no way of telling how to get anywhere in addition to not even being able to go anywhere in the first place.

"I guess this is it for me," Juri assumed with a heavy sigh.

A bright, green light suddenly flashed in front of her. Juri seemed almost stunned as she let that moment pass, and the light eventually seemed to soak right into the darkness, leaving a dull green color residue in her background… this was indeed the moment Juri was looking for.

She finally knew where she had to go.

And thus, she ran towards the direction of the light, approaching an even bolder green background the further she went. Noting this, Juri had a feeling about what she'd find at the end of the path…

* * *

( POV – Nobody )

* * *

"Jenrya…!"

The sound of a familiar voice stuck out like a sore thumb in Jenrya's hearing. He opened his eyes, forced himself to rise so he was at least sitting up… it was apparent that he'd been unconscious for some amount of time. He wasn't sure how he was feeling at the moment… at one end, he felt great relief, almost excitement that he thought he'd heard Juri's voice. On the other hand… the memories of what he'd just been through struck back with a vengeance. Jenrya looked around, noticing that he wasn't where he was before… this was a different place. But it still wasn't home.

Briefly, he tried to check back in his memory to see if he remembered _anything_ at all from the festival… and as the dark, mocking fog promised, Jenrya was coming up empty as usual. Still yet, this was brief… by the time this registered in Jenrya's mind, he was met with an immediate headache. It wasn't severe, but it was certainly unexpected… Jenrya grasped at his head with one hand, and used his other to keep himself from falling down. He closed his eyes and tried to calm himself down, and hoped the pain would eventually just dull out… there wasn't much for him to see anyway; just a black background, plain and simple, with occasional splatters of illuminating green.

"Jen!"

Jenrya's eyes shot open again, the shock of hearing the voice almost sent another wave of pain through his head.

"J… Juri?!" He called back in surprise, now having no trouble ignoring his headache, and even standing up and looking around himself in hopes of finding his friend right there by him. No such luck, yet… but he wasn't giving up already. "Juri, where are you?!"

Jenrya didn't get a quick response to his calls… confusion once again was building up inside his mind, just one of many emotions he experienced while talking to the mysterious wannabe-person. _'What, am I imagining things now? I'm not surprised…'_ Jenrya thought sullenly. _'I must be an idiot to think I'd get out of this mess so easily.'_

Just to keep the hope alive, though, Jenrya started to walk, thinking maybe Juri was nearby and it was just too dark to see her. Perhaps it was too dark for her to find him? It didn't hurt to try… however, it wasn't too long before Jenrya realized that his surroundings weren't moving along with him. So was he really even getting anywhere? He himself could move around just fine…

"**Juri!**" Jenrya shouted out again, as loud as his lungs would allow him to. … It probably wasn't a good idea, because after doing this just a few more times, fatigue took over Jenrya quickly… now he was feeling similar to how he was when he just woke up from his coma; nauseous, a headache… in addition to feeling feverish and having a difficulty with breathing normally.

The nagging thoughts of what the mysterious stranger had told him were pecking at his logic, too… and now Jenrya was feeling overwhelmed.

_'What's going on…?'_ he wondered pitifully. _'Why does this keep happening to me…? What's __**wrong**__ with me?! '_ It was a definite overload, Jenrya knew. He wouldn't be able to keep on going like this… his mind was too occupied with trying to make sense of what had happened just recently, what had happened at the festival, why his emotions were so scrambled now…

… Not to mention he still needed to figure out how to get home. Would anyone understand his excuse of why he left his home without permission from his family?

It was just too much for him right now.

Under the pressure, Jenrya finally felt crushed to beyond his limits. And thus, he collapsed.

**"JENRYA!"**

… He was _this_ close to passing out again.

"J… Ju…"

"Oh god… a-are you okay?!"

Jenrya put his health at the end of the priority list for now. He was _sure_ Juri was with him now… "Juri…"

Juri knelt down and watched in anticipation as Jenrya slowly cracked his eyes open, and raised himself to sit up, so he could be at her level. Juri's eyes were welling up with tears, looking nothing but absolutely _scared _for Jenrya… as he really looked like he was on his last legs.

Jenrya shook his head a bit, trying to clear up any final misconceptions… he wanted to be **sure** that he wasn't just imagining things this time. And, much to his overwhelmed relief… he was finally right. The yellow-outlined Juri suddenly looked normal now… and seeing her on the brink of sobbing, Jenrya felt his eyes ready to leak any moment now as well.

As soon as Jenrya was stable with sitting up… Juri didn't waste any time.

She flew into his arms and sobbed.

The sudden impact almost knocked Jenrya right onto his back… but this wasn't a time to show off how weak he was at this point, he decided. He tried to look as strong for her as he could in his condition, and gratefully accepted Juri by resting his arms around her back, securing her into his grip. Still, though, Jenrya refused to outright sob along with Juri… his eyes were flooding over, definitely… but no sound escaped his lips. Forcefully, he pent it up inside him now, only being able to think about what kind of _torture_ Juri just had to go through to get like this…

After the D-Reaper was defeated, Juri accepted her losses and moved on. She wasn't the type to cry and look so miserable unless something **terrible** happened to her, these days. Jenrya saw his own pain and frustration reflected in Juri's expressions… so he knew Juri had just gone through as much hell as he had, if not more. Hearing her sobbing over his weak body had Jenrya almost scared for her… scared for imagining her in all the sickening situations he himself were recently in.

Questions still needed to be answered, though: the how and why. _Especially_ since there was no way Juri could've gotten here through the same circumstances as Jenrya… she wasn't the one who had lost memories of near-death experiences.

"I… I'm so relieved," Juri sputtered, attempting to put an end to her sobbing. It was stressful to do, however… the more she tried to stop, the tighter she held onto Jenrya. "I thought he was lying for sure… and I really thought I was trapped here forever, Jenrya…"

This made Jenrya more than concerned. More than anything, frightened… "W-wait… **he**?"

"That's right…"

"Who are you talking about?" Jenrya asked, slowly trying to pull away from Juri, and fiercely wiping his own eyes, rubbing out any trace of tears in them. "Wh-what did he say to you…?"

"Someone or some_thing_ started possessing my puppet," Juri replied, her head slumped after releasing her old on her friend. "He… he kept saying things about how everything was hopeless, and how I was doomed to be here forever, and how it was all Takato's fault, and then he said you were here and you were doomed too…" She paused, to shudder in reflection of all those hideous words. "I've been trying forever to get out of here, Jen … I **really** have… but I just couldn't find anything. It was like I was trapped here and I couldn't talk to anyone!" Juri raised her head to look directly to Jenrya. "You know how horrible that would've been?! To be trapped in isolation forever?!"

A sting of guilt nailed Jenrya right in his heart. He was suddenly at full attention, staring fully at Juri in return. Reason being, Jenrya couldn't relate to Juri's plight at all when it came to isolation… he _intentionally_ isolated himself for most of his life before he became a Tamer. In fact, since the Digimon fights had ended, Jenrya had subtly been trying to get right back into that lifestyle now that he wasn't required to work with a bunch of people he barely knew anymore. It was a little different this time, obviously… he had Takato now, so Takato made sure to keep him from **completely** cutting off his social relations… but still.

Being in a large family made Jenrya long for privacy much more than anyone else he knew. Eternal isolation, to him at least, seemed hardly like anything at all compared to what he went through.

Despite this, Jenrya decided not to comment on that. Juri was all he had right now, and earlier he'd even told Takato how much he wanted to get to know her better… just so he could at least _have_ a female acquaintance that he wasn't exasperated with half the time.

He decided to avoid the topic altogether. "Did he do anything to you…? I mean, did he hurt you or say something else? I-I just… where _were_ you…?"

"Half the time he was trying to pretend being my puppet," Juri said bitterly. "I… I didn't fall for it; I'm not stupid… but it was all I had to talk to, Jenrya. I figured… if I went along with it, he'd find me a way out of here, or at least get me to you… h-he said some pretty scary things." Her angered expressions changed to fear. "A while ago… he said that you were already 'doomed'. That you already accepted your fate and I was to go down with you, or something… I barely remember it now…"

"Me…? Why would _I_ be doomed?"

"I guess he wasn't lying about that," Juri reconsidered. "After all, I did find you collapsed here, looking like you were going to die…"

"I suppose you can tell I haven't been having a big joyride either," Jenrya said, with the last ounce of sarcasm possible. "Though I can't say my experience wasn't anything like yours…"

Jenrya paused for a moment, suddenly wondering it any time, much less now was a good time to tell Juri just what had happened to him. To the gaseous figure with the evil mocking voice, or the putrid slime that had him bound for what seemed like an eternity; he was beginning to wonder if that actually given him some physical and psychological side-effects in the long run…

"I'm just so happy that you're okay," Juri sighed out, almost happily. "I mean… am I right…? Were you hurt any…? You still don't look very well…"

"Guess I haven't fully recovered from my last big incident," Jenrya assumed, trying to sit up straighter. "I don't really feel that great right now… but it doesn't matter, Juri. I didn't get hurt, but… I remember some voice talking to me about, er…"

Juri's eyes widened. "You heard him too?!"

"Um, yeah," Jenrya responded, looking slightly uneasy as he looked up, now apparently trying to think up a good lie… "He didn't say anything about how doomed I was… in fact, he didn't even mention you, but… er…"

"Don't you remember?" Juri's expressions seemed almost perplexed at Jenrya's nearly avoidant behavior on something as simple as recalling something that just happened. At least, even when she just had to recall the hell she just experienced…

There was a sudden glare on Jenrya's face. His eyes looked nothing but cold and unforgiving… "I almost passed out, **OKAY?!**" With no forewarning, he slammed a fist onto the floor. "Forgive me if my memory isn't _crystal clear_ like yours!!"

Not surprisingly, Juri was stunned. Even to the point where she couldn't utter a word in response…

An uncomfortable amount of time passed before Jenrya realized what he just said, and how he said it. His logic was suddenly frozen as Jenrya was overcome in his own embarrassment and shame… suddenly his own well being was being questioned to him through his mind. He well knew he's not one to blow up at _anyone_… not unless it was a highly provocative family member. Juri was anything but.

She was a friend. Considerably the closest friend he had aside from Takato. And Terriermon, of course.

And he was so close to threatening her.

There was a few more moments of silence… as the fear retreated from Juri far enough to where she wasn't paralyzed with it now. And slowly, she backed away… it was bad enough to get mocked and yelled at by her own Puppet, but Jenrya…? Her last hope for escape? The only friend she had in this dreary place…?

Jenrya immediately extended his hand, the one formerly as an enraged fist, out to her as she drew away. His expressions were back to his soft, sympathetic self again… "J-Juri, I…"

At that notion, not believing anything anymore, Juri started standing up, trying to get even further away from him. "No, DON'T! …J-just leave me alone! I'm sorry I asked, okay?! Just don't _hurt_ me!"

Jenrya gasped at the thought, not daring to even _think_ of that possibility in detail, despite how close he might've come to actually doing it… "I would never do that!"

"You **screamed** at me!" Juri shouted accusingly. "I didn't mean to make you _upset_! Why are you being like this, Jenrya?!"

"Being like what?!" Jenrya shouted right back.

"You're KEEPING something from me!" Juri claimed, pointing directly at him. "S-so how can I trust you?! What if you're another _mind trick_ like the floating puppet?! What if I'm really just all alone AGAIN?! Doomed like I was **meant** to be?"

That wasn't something Jenrya expected to hear… _'I just blow up at her once… and she already loses her trust in me? … She must've been through more than I thought…'_

"Well, I'm not going to sit here and believe in what I was 'destined' to fall to anything! Don't think I've forgotten the lessons I've learned from Leomon and my experience with the D-Reaper!" Juri assured, full of confidence **and** anger now. "I can make my _own_ destiny, so whether or not you're really Jenrya, I'm going to find my way out of here, and that's THAT!" With that, she started marching off. "I'm not letting some carbon copy of my friend slow me down from my goal!"

"_Wait a second!_" Jenrya cried out, forcing himself to stand up (though he barely had the strength for it). He ran straight for Juri, though she was barely any distance away from him… but because he knew she didn't trust him now, he made sure to maintain a reasonable distance from her… until he proved that he _did_ care, and he wanted out just as much as Juri herself did… "Juri, please don't **leave** me here!!"

"Funny, the other guy made it sound like you felt right at home here," Juri spat, in an uncharacteristically mean way. "Who knows if I should even _believe_ him, but it sure is fitting your description."

Jenrya looked desperate… but he still didn't want to share anything of his traumatizing experience with her. She might understand, yes… but he didn't want to plague her with anymore dark, depressing thoughts. He wanted to get her out of there; he wanted to get _himself _out of there. Thoughts of being bound in some dark, foreign substance were something he didn't feel the need to share with Juri.

"Look… I'm really sorry, Juri," he apologized in the most convincing voice he could conceive. "I… I don't know what I could… say or do to make you believe me, b-but this isn't the time to be talking about what happened to us right now! I'm worried sick for the both of us!" He insisted, now sounding as desperate as he looked. "We need to get out of here as soon as possible, Juri… I want to _help _you find a way home! Believe me; I don't want to stay here either. I've got family and friends that I want to go back to as much as you do!"

"Why would you yell at me, Jenrya?" Juri asked bluntly. "What have I done to deserve to be _treated_ that way from you?! How am I supposed to _work_ with you when you're like this?"

His resistance giving out, Jenrya fell to his knees, right in front of Juri. Despite the pain he was going through, his eyes wouldn't leave Juri. His expressions were even _more_ pained and ravaged than before… another psychological analysis on him is exactly what he **didn't** need at this moment.

"I'm so sorry I did that to you," he whispered. He felt his eyes watering up once again… "If… if I were thinking straight… I know I never would've let myself treat you like that; you deserve better, Juri… I mean it. It's just… been a really long day…"

"I don't want your excuses!" Juri told him honestly. "Jen… what's _with_ you? What did that guy say, or do to you?! I… I think I have a right to know! After all, I told you what he's done to me!"

"I'll… I promise to tell you later, okay?" Jenrya practically begged, suddenly reaching over and taking Juri's hand, slowly and gently pulling her closer. "J-just don't leave me here… _please_…" He was officially crying again. "I'm sick to death of this place, and I want to go already… I at least want to make sure you make it out, I don't know how to get out of here, but…"

Juri was slightly uncomfortable with Jenrya suddenly touching her out of the blue, but she went with it anyway… she wanted to at least give him a chance… "Th-that's okay… we can work together…"

Jenrya tried to rise up closer to her, but his condition would have none of it… and thusly almost stumbled right down in front of her. His eyes were wide open, begging, _pleading_… hoping for some kind of compromise to be met.

"I… just want to keep you _safe _from places like this, Juri…"

Time almost seemed to stop for Juri. And she couldn't seem to do **anything** but just stare at her desperate friend, who all of a sudden… didn't seem like the harsh, cold, secretive person he just was.

He was being sincere.

Juri suddenly had a renewed hope in her friend… and in humanity.

Without another thought or word said, she fell to her knees as well, and drew Jenrya into a tight embrace. Jenrya fell right into it, looking surprised, but more than anything happy… because he gained back her trust.

And most of all, she was looking more like her old self again.

Refusing to let go, Juri held Jenrya as tightly as she could without completely smothering him. Both were too emotionally caught up with themselves to notice, but there was some very subtle glowing happening right at this moment…

It wasn't too different from Takato's glowing situation… only since the sources of the glow weren't covered in clothes like Takato's; they were much more noticeable. On Jenrya's left cheek, a green symbol resembling a teardrop was coming into formation… the tears flowing alongside it made the glow seem even more magical.

On Juri's right hand, an illuminating yellow symbol in the shape of a five-pronged award ribbon was also making its appearance, seeming to intensify in its brightness the tighter Juri held onto Jenrya. Despite this, neither of them noticed what was happening… as they both refused to let go of each other and just sobbed as loudly as they could together. This time, Jenrya wasn't holding back on his emotions. He was unloading every ounce of his true feelings that he had…

Juri just felt good to have someone to confide in for once… someone to trust, and believe in. And just as they reached their peaks in their emotions… spheres of green and yellow light consumed them both, though both still failed to realize what was happening.

The Puppet was eerily floating overhead, as the lights grew brighter and brighter, until it was practically blinding; it had essentially erased the bleary background both Juri and Jenrya were long tortured with.

And just like that…

All was black again.

Jenrya, Juri… _and_ The Puppet… were gone.

* * *

( POV – Nobody )

* * *

"Do you sense anything yet, Terriermon?"

"You act like I'm the Jenrya Metal Detector, or something!" Terriermon shouted out, as Renamon was carrying him as she ran through the streets and on top of buildings, hardly taking a moment to slow down. "Really, it's weird, though! I mean, I could always sense him before… but I swear I'm coming up blank this time!"

"You have to admit, that's a bit of an odd case; Jenrya and Juri running off, and now you can't even pick up Jenrya's trail," Renamon noted. "As if he's not in the city at all."

Terriermon just shook his head. "There's no way that boy can make it out of the city limits on his own, especially in his condition! Besides, we should've totally run into him by now! How many times have we SCALED this entire city?!"

"Only twice," Renamon said as she slowed to a stop, what she said being her one small attempt at humor now. "Perhaps we should go about this a little slower, then. Not that it's a good way considering Takato's condition, but we obviously aren't picking up anything by speeding around the place either."

"Couldn't hurt to try," Terriermon figured, leaping off of Renamon and starting off by foot immediately. "He's so gonna get it when I take 'im back home, though. Everyone's gone ballistic since he left, and you know it's a bad idea to piss off five people like that!"

He sighed. "He's not gonna stand a chance when he gets back."

"I'm sure he has an excuse for what he and Juri are doing, separate or together," Renamon assured. "Good or bad, they'll surely have some sort of alibi. And where were _you_ when he disappeared?"

"I was…around!" Terriermon said quickly, a little taken aback by the question. "Everyone else was out for either school or work, and I had to look after Jen! He came out of his room and said he wanted some fresh air, so I thought, y'know, that'd do him some good! He sounded normal, it just didn't occur to me that he'd like, run away for no reason!"

Renamon shook her head. "There's no need to get so defensive."

"He sounded like he wanted some alone time to reflect on stuff," Terriermon continued. "And I know how Jen values what little privacy he actually _gets_ in his own house! So I just, like, respected that and let him get some fresh air like he wanted…"

"Terriermon…"

There was no stopping him now, though. "And I didn't wanna intrude on him or anything, so I just waited until I got that funny feeling that he was gone a liiiittle bit too long… and when I checked on him, he was gone! No trace of him whatsoever! And now everyone's gonna start blaming me even though I don't REALLY think I did anything wrong, but I probably made a mistake **anyway** in not keeping an eye on him, but HEY. How was I to know that—"

"Terriermon," Renamon sternly interrupted. "No one is blaming you for anything. You have to understand that no one thinks that you caused this."

"Geez, you're making it sound like _someone_ is," Terriermon muttered. "Sheesh… I should moumantai…"

Renamon just sighed. "I didn't mean to insinuate anything. It was only a question."

"Yeah, well…" Terriermon grumbled, having a hard time finding the right words… he just didn't feel right in _general_ without his Tamer. He well knew how his current behavior wasn't like himself at all… but with Jenrya's whereabouts being up in the air like this, Terriermon didn't have the time or patience to care.

"I apologize, you apologize, you forgive me, and I forgive you," Renamon summarized quickly, and peacefully. "There."

Terriermon blinked for a moment… then smirked. "That's one way of fixing a misunderstanding. Good job!"

"It was my pleasure."

A strong, overwhelming feeling suddenly struck Terriermon in the head, almost making him jump.

"Waaah… _hello!_"

Renamon didn't move a muscle. "Hm?"

Terriermon just shook his head, with his giant ears flopping rapidly about. "Um… you're not gonna believe it, Renamon…but I think I know where Jen is now! And he's _close!_"

"Just now?" Renamon wondered aloud. "All of a sudden?"

"Like I said, isn't it hard to believe? But it's definitely better than having nothing to go by, don't you think?"

"A very good point," Renamon concurred, quickly picking Terriermon up and placing him on her shoulder. "You'd better lead the way, then. We don't want to lose him again."

"Intuition's tellin' me to go… that way!" Terriermon announced, pointing off towards the right… a long sidewalk that eventually gave way to a dark, suspicious-looking alley.

One look of the road ahead made Renamon all the more concerned and certain that what she and Terriermon would find would be nothing short of frightening.

"… Wonderful. We'd best be on our way, then."

Renamon proceeded to start running on what thankfully would not be a very long trip.

* * *

( POV – Nobody )

* * *

The glowing had dissipated. The symbols were gone. It was as if Jenrya and Juri had never been in another dimension to begin with… had it not been for the fact that they both still looked as tortured as they ever did since their encounters.

They'd been so overwhelmed in their own misery, desperately trying to comfort each other that it had taken until now for them to stop crying and actually acknowledge the sudden change in their environment.

Juri was the first one to notice.

"Jenrya… look," She whispered out, abruptly pulling away from him, her eyes now focused on the scenery behind him. … It had been a while since she'd seen a background this colorful and alive.

Jenrya was immediately jolted out of his crying when Juri pulled out of the embrace; his first thing seen was the area behind her… and it was a remotely _normal_ alley. Dark, dank, and surely none too safe… but it was proof. Proof that he had to be back in Shinjuku.

"How… how did…"

"What does that matter?!" Juri practically shouted in delight, standing up and skipping around the area, until she came to a wall, which she joyously hugged. "We're HOME, Jen! We're home!"

Not that he wasn't as overjoyed as she was, but Jenrya could only remain sitting where he was, looking at his surroundings just to make sure this wasn't another trick… and of course, giving Juri odd looks as she was practically kissing the pavement in her gratitude of being out of that wretched, evil dimension.

"Not… literally," He pointed out. "But I guess it's definitely better than where we were. I guess we did something right, then…"

"You _guess?_" Juri echoed, now being the one to give Jenrya the weird gesture. "Of course it's better than where we were before! Look, Jen! There's a real SKY, and actual walls and I can MOVE and I can see things go behind me when I pass them!" She pointed out every piece of garbage and trash can as if they were gold. "We're not in that alternate reality anymore! We can go home now and help Takato!"

_'Help Takato? What's she talking about?'_ Jenrya had totally missed out on the latest news of Takato's condition, apparently. He picked a very bad time to disappear. "Juri, that's great news and everything… but where are we now? It's not like Shinjuku is a small district or anything. And I don't have any money on me…"

Jenrya's negative attitude was almost getting **offensive** to Juri now. "Can't you at least be a _little _thankful for what happened?! True, we are lost, but we have people to help us now! It's _nothing_ like our situation before." Despite Jenrya's stubborn refusal to be overly happy for their selves, she tried smiling for him. "I have a feeling we wouldn't have made it back here by ourselves, though. So thank you, Jen. For being there and helping us both get home."

Jenrya couldn't help but give a smile in return. "Right back at you, Juri."

"Jeeen!! JEN!"

No more words were exchanged between the two as two new presences made themselves known: Terriermon and Renamon.

"… And Juri's here too," Renamon verified when she came to a halt. "Thank goodness."

"T-Terriermon…!" Jenrya caught Terriermon, who wasted no time leaping off Renamon and into his partner's arms. "H-how did you manage to find us…?"

Terriermon pretended to scoff. "If you haven't figured out the Tamer-Digimon bond by now, Jen, there's no hope for you! But just _where have you two been all this time?!_"

"You've both been gone for most of the day," Renamon informed, gesturing up to the sky that, while mostly gray and dreary (it hadn't been a good day for the weather, apparently), was gradually beginning to darken, showing that it was around the evening now. "With not so much as a note telling us where you've gone."

Juri and Jenrya looked to each other uneasily, mentally asking each other if it was even a good idea to go into detail of what _really_ happened to them… it'd surely be a pain to recall completely in detail. Juri recalled how Jenrya was having issues with even telling _her_ what happened to him. Jenrya himself was still looking as weakened as ever from his own remnants of his illness. And just because they were safely in their own world with the comfort of their allied Digimon, it didn't seem to improve Jenrya's mood, much less eager to divulge into something that would most likely upset him.

"It's a long story," Juri responded, as terse and innocently as she could put it.

"Y-yeah," Jenrya immediately nodded along with her. "Very long."

"I suppose it would be more fitting for you to apologize with everyone else present to hear it," Renamon reconsidered. "You should know they're not going to be happy with either of you disappearing on them like this, you realize."

"Heck," Terriermon added. "Even we aren't happy with you. You'd better have a good explanation for worrying us sick!"

"Don't worry," Juri nervously assured. "It's a pretty good reason… and it won't happen again, I promise."

"Well, neither of you seem hurt; I'm thankful for that," Renamon noticed, nodding in approval. "That's the most important thing of all. So let's be on our way so we can show your friends and family so they won't be worrying themselves sick any longer."

Juri nodded and started to follow Renamon out of the alleyway. "Sorry we've caused so much trouble…"

"It was an honest mistake, I'm sure."

Jenrya, still with Terriermon in tow, was about to follow, when he noticed a peculiar item on the ground next to him.

It was Juri's Puppet… thankfully, without the possessed glowing eyes.

Terriermon just stared at it blankly, as the same as many others; he didn't trust The Puppet for anything. Like everyone else, he figured it was the source of any insanity or evil Juri ever had.

Jenrya was a bit more thoughtful, though. He wasn't a bigger fan of The Puppet any more than the others were, but it _was _Juri's… and as a friend, Jenrya knew he had to act responsibly if he ever wanted a chance to have a social life outside of Takato.

As he picked The Puppet up and followed his friends out of the alley, he started wondering again… on what the big deal on Takato was about. Something didn't seem right in his mind…

"J-Juri! I think you dropped this…!"

With Renamon's speed, the group reached the Matsuda Bakery in no time at all. So she, Juri, Jenrya, and Terriermon were there, practically, standing across the street from the building. From there on, they started walking normally… Juri could only stare at the place hard… as she was deep in thought of how to handle the situation of explaining her whereabouts. She had no idea she'd spent so much time away… then again, there really _was_ no way for her to tell how much time had passed while she was in that awkward world.

She felt terrible; the situation had made it seem like she just up and abandoned Takato. If she didn't tell her friends _something_, they might remain angry with her. But could she bear to tell them everything? Juri herself wasn't sure exactly what was going on with her, Jenrya, and the mysterious voice… she didn't want to senselessly have the others worry over her when it was clearly Takato who needed the immediate attention. Plus, she felt she needed more time to reflect on what had happened… not to mention wait for Jenrya to get into better spirits so that he'd hopefully one day share his side of the story. It just simply wasn't a good time to go into such an uncomfortable subject. Juri had been very close to her friends over the years, at least… so she could at least hope they knew her well enough to trust her.

Juri wouldn't blame them for being angry. She hated being so secretive like Jenrya was right now… but until she had this mess sorted out in her mind… it was best to just keep it between herself and Jenrya.

Right now, all she wanted to do was be there for Takato in his time of need.

Who knows how much damage had been done with Takato not having her around for comfort and reassurance? She and Jenrya were Takato's closest friends out of everyone else.

And out of everyone else… it just _had _to be precisely her and Jenrya to not be present for him while he suffered.

"I hope you're both ready to face the music," Renamon said, as the building crept ever-so closer to them as they walked. "I know it won't be easy. But if your intentions were pure, like I'm sure they are… I know they'll understand."

Tempted as Terriermon was to make a crack at the fact of Jenrya and Juri suddenly disappearing _together_… even he knew this wasn't a good time to try and be funny. "That's right. It's YOUR turn to talk now!"

At that notion, Jenrya's pace of walking started to blatantly slow down altogether. And it didn't take long for Juri, Renamon and Terriermon to notice this, and look to their lagging companion.

Juri realized that Jenrya hadn't looked all too well since she first rediscovered him. Naturally, it made her very concerned. "Jen … you okay…?"

"C'mon, you said yourself that you were getting better," Terriermon whined. "Before you ran off, that is!"

Jenrya just slumped; his eyes cast right down towards the ground. His eyelids were drooping, and his posture in general was turning from bad to worse. Not a good sign at all.

"I'm… sorry," he apologized quietly. "I think it's some kind of backlash or something… I don't think I can really… do this right now."

"D-do what?" Juri asked, not quite understanding what her friend was getting at.

"Just… tell Takato I had to go back home," Jenrya requested. "I'll call him later if that's okay… I just don't… I don't think I can do this today. Not after everything else that happened…"

As much as Juri understood why Jenrya would be feeling so bad, she realized that he was essentially _ditching_ her to defend her position all by herself. Something she wasn't looking forward to doing.

"Can't you stay for a little while?" she urged, looking nothing short of desperate. "Even if it's just for a few minutes… I think Takato would really like to see you after not getting to for a few days."

"It really is crucial that you be there for him," Renamon suggested. "He hasn't said very much today, but what few words he did say included your name."

That had caught Jenrya's attention. "… My name?"

They were practically at the front door now. Jenrya was looking straight inside it, to see the bakery he'd been in so many times before… whether it was to wait for Takato so they could walk to school together, or having a snack together as they did their homework. Beyond the desk he saw the hallway that led to the staircase: the one that led straight to Takato's room.

He'd been in this place so many times; he'd practically memorized everything in it.

… Suddenly, time almost seemed to freeze for Jenrya. That's how it looked, anyway… nothing in the background was moving, and Juri, Renamon, and Terriermon were all stuck in their positions… Suddenly Jenrya realized that he himself could only move his head and various facial gestures.

It looked like he would have to go this trip alone, apparently.

He closed his eyes and prepared to be taken back to his obscure prison… only to find that nothing was taking him anywhere. He was still in front of the bakery. His friends were all frozen in front of him, and they were still visibly in Shinjuku.

"… I wonder what's going on," Jenrya weakly whispered to himself, as he looked back towards the Matsuda Bakery… and suddenly, a streak of fear crossed his face. Some sort of dark shadow loomed over the entire building… and now it looked anything but inviting.

_**"DON'T LOOK AT HIM!"**_

Jenrya would've jumped a foot into the air if he were able to. His feet were still firmly planted to the ground, though. All he could do was gape at the bakery where a voice that had no visible body to it continued to warn him…

_**"DON'T ****GO NEAR**** HIM… DON'T TALK TO HIM… DON'T TOUCH HIM…"**_

"Y-you mean…?" Jenrya gulped nervously… he was pretty sure who the voice was referring to. There was only one person he would so regularly look at… go near… talk to, and touch…

Suddenly, in the middle of the bakery, a window of an entirely different situation was playing like an old black and white movie reel. It was fuzzy… a bit scratchy… but he could vaguely make out the details.

Two silhouettes in a boat… one figure in a dark robe… and the other in a lighter one. A familiar shape rested on the shoulder of the dark-robed figure. And the two main figures in the boat didn't seem to be doing anything more than holding a conversation. Unfortunately, the clip didn't provide any sound.

Then again, Jenrya didn't _need_ for it to provide a single noise.

The audio was automatically playing in his head like it was natural.

And then it hit him. … This was a **memory**. Jenrya was the one wearing the dark kimono, and Takato wearing the lighter one. The figure on his shoulder was Terriermon…

They were both talking about the evils of having a brother and/or sister.

This was from the festival! Jenrya didn't recall this scene earlier… but now it stood out like a sore thumb. It registered perfectly, now; this was a legitimate, actual **part** of the missing memory of his night at the festival. Already, within hours of talking to the mysterious figure, he had already found one piece of his memory puzzle.

It all made sense now. Jaarin cheating him out on the game to make him ride the boat ride, Takato, who had been separated from his friends all that time wound up on the ride completely on accident. And fate had seemingly brought the two into riding the boat together. Rather than Jenrya having to uncomfortably ride it out with a random girl he didn't know and Takato being embarrassed to no end by riding it out with another guy.

They both got over the shock easily, though. So both he and Takato had made use of their alone time by discussing several things.

Jenrya loved talking to Takato. He was one of the few people he really felt comfortable holding a conversation with. Seeing the memory made him happy… if nothing else, he could rest knowing the festival wasn't a total disaster. And yet…

_**"DON'T LOOK AT HIM."**_

_**"DON'T ****GO NEAR**** HIM."**_

_**"DON'T TALK TO HIM."**_

_**"DON'T TOUCH HIM."**_

… Something was telling Jenrya to essentially avoid all contact with his best friend.

Would Jenrya do this for no reason? Of course not. He wasn't gullible. Plus, if he ignored Takato, he might as well ignore everyone else. He was always very careful keeping his friendship with Takato alive… one wrong move would mean he'd lose just about everyone, most likely.

But Jenrya had a reason this time. As much as he hated to admit it…

He knew what this voice was, now.

It was his gut instinct.

And just like that… time moved freely again. All surrealistic aspects of Jenrya's surroundings had vanished; the bakery was back to normal. And now Jenrya was staring at it in utter fear.

"… So will you join us?"

Jenrya immediately looked to the source of the voice: Renamon. Apparently, no one but him noticed what had happened… but they _were_ frozen in time. So things probably continued on as normal for them.

"Uh…"

"C'mon," Terriermon egged on playfully. "You can tough it out for a few minutes, at least!"

"I could really use your help," Juri reminded, going about it as undemanding as she was able to. "It's going to be a long story, telling them what happened and all… but Takato's going to feel tons better when he sees you, I bet!"

Jenrya looked almost taken aback by all the pleas for him to go inside. _'Why is this such a big **deal**?' he wondered. 'I can't be THAT important to Takato… it's not like I can magically heal him or anything…'_

"I can understand if you're not feeling well," Juri continued. "So I'll do all the talking… I just think I'd like it if you were there with me, you know? So we can all be together to make sense of this whole thing?"

The anxiety of what Jenrya's gut instinct told him… what the figure told him earlier… his illness in general… had finally worn his patience down to nothing. Holding Terriermon firmly in his arms, and giving the bakery one last fearful look… he passed by Renamon and Juri completely, and proceeded to walk away from the Matsuda Bakery.

"W-where are you going?!" Juri shouted out, purely in shock of what was happening.

"Don't tell them **anything**, Juri," was the response Jenrya gave. "I mean it. Don't tell them a single detail of what went on today. I don't want you to do _anything_ but make sure Takato makes it through whatever happened to him."

He refused to even look back to the pair as he walked on. Anger and frustration shown on his face… and this just confused Terriermon.

"Ex**cuse** me, who're you to dictate what Juri does?" Terriermon asked, purely annoyed. "Especially since you obviously don't care enough to go with her and make sure she doesn't!"

"Don't **you** start," Jenrya snarled under his breath, making it apparent that _something_ had definitely irked him. And Terriermon was nothing short of aghast. "Just keep quiet until we get home. I'm going to take a nap, so don't bother talking to me."

Terriermon uneasily looked off to the side… and resumed his sarcastic role once more. "Sure, if you gotta be that way, Mr. Friendly."

Renamon didn't look impressed… but she knew this wasn't her place to object. "You still don't look very healthy, Jenrya. Would you like me to take you two home? I can get you there—"

"No. Just go back inside with Juri."

This sheer display of rudeness was once again offending Juri. And by now this was concerning her; Jenrya was one of the more mature, polite members of the Tamers group. All of a sudden he was being just as cold as Ruki, as negative as Kenta, and as immature as Shuichon. Along with that, he was also being annoyingly secretive. He wouldn't even divulge into a little hint as to why he was behaving this way.

"Jenrya!" Juri was stern this time. She wasted no time, and started running after him. "This is no time for you to act _selfish!_ And it's certainly no time for you to be mean to your own friends! I understand you must be feeling terrible, but that's **no** excuse at all to—"

Jenrya immediately turned around, glaring straight into her, stomping into the ground with his feet as he made his turn complete. With that, Juri stopped in her tracks.

"Don't you **dare** follow me," Jenrya hissed, with exasperation seething through his teeth. "I can take care of myself just fine without **you**. You and Renamon go back into that bakery right _now_ and do whatever needs to be done with Takato. I mean it! This isn't the time to give me your crap." Slowly, he raised a fist. "Now stop wasting time and _get back to him_. **NOW.**"

Juri stared at him, eyes wide open in fear… it was like she barely knew him now. He was violent again; just like he was before… she suddenly looked down to Terriermon, who was giving her facial gestures that read 'Don't-Worry. I'll-Deal-With-Him-Later.'

And, upon getting that signal, she gave a slight nod… and without saying anything to Jenrya, she gave him a wary look, and ran back towards the bakery.

"C-come on, Renamon…" she said, her voice visibly shaking. She tried her best not to dare look at Jenrya again… "Let's go back inside…"

Renamon gave a silent nod, and the two entered the building. Leaving Jenrya to monitor them up until the very last moment… and silently, he turned back around, and resumed walking home.

Terriermon could only glare at his Tamer… in confusion, annoyance, and disappointment. It was frustrating that he refused to tell _anyone_ what his problem was, but he figured time WAS the greatest healer after all…

… And perhaps after a nap, maybe then he'd be more willing to talk.

Jenrya himself refused to speak, even as he returned home. He'd deal with the panicked family members as they came at him, but his main concern for the moment was to sort today's events all out in his head.

There were so many things he needed to make sense of all of a sudden.

Little did he know, this mysterious stranger he encountered… who would soon make _everything_ clear for Jenrya, was watching him, perched on the very top of the Matsuda Bakery. He seemed different now, though. He almost had hands… most of his limbs were vaguely developed now, in fact. The figure also seemed to have hair now… just about.

It was ominous. The disfigured plume of smoke was now taking on a human form.

* * *

( TBC ) 


	9. Live and Learn

**( Notes: **

**And this is the last chapter before the hiatus settled in. I really liked this chapter, mainly for the Hirokazu and Ruki interaction that I finally got to thrust into the spotlight. It really makes me wish Tamers focused on Tamer-to-Tamer intera****ction a little more; stuff like this is gold, kind of like how Daisuke and Miyako were in the second season. And finally, Takato recognizes his love triangle issue, so no more harping on obliviously about his scary levels of possessiveness. More crest hint****ing! I can assure you, Chapter 10 will continue with that.**

**One thing I would like to note (as this is the last chapter before the all-new content comes in); Chapter 10 will be a little bit of a timewarp. The first couple of parts, at least, will be taking**** place before the second part of this chapter (i.e. The Hirokazu and Ruki scene)... more specifically, school time, so you'll see why Takato's being depressed, why Juri's not in a good mood, why Hirokazu didn't see Jenrya, and so on. So at the very least, ****you should expect to see Hirokazu... able to **_**sit**_**, at least. I admittedly didn't think this through clearly when I initially wrote this chapter and started on 10. But after the school scene, I should have everything back in chronological order. **

**Also look ****for some fun villainy next time! I'll see you then! )**

* * *

( POV – Nobody )

* * *

The tension at Jenrya's apartment had never been at a higher level.

Everyone's panicking halted… Janyuu, Mayumi, Rinchei, Jaarin, and Shuichon all didn't dare to make a sound as their front door creaked open without warning. In stepped Jenrya, with Terriermon held in his arms. And his family could only stare as the second-youngest member, apparently deep in thought, didn't bother acknowledging them… and was silently heading into his room. Not once did he look up at anyone.

No one was ready to let Jenrya get away without explaining himself, however. Mayumi was the first one to stand up to her son… who, for the first time ever, seemed a little intimidating to her.

"W-where have you been…?!"

That was enough to make Jenrya look up… his weary and agitated gray eyes were instantly on his mother's. Terriermon had noticed a while back that his Tamer was in no mood to converse… and despite the importance of his family getting to know what happened, he started wondering if this was the best time to really start interrogating him.

Jenrya wouldn't even give his mother a simple verbal acknowledgment. Only a glare, before returning his gaze to the floor, where he continued walking on towards his room. Terriermon wisely escaped Jenrya's grasp and leaped to the nearest table. He knew this family wasn't going to give up on Jenrya that easily… but now was a very bad time to provoke him into any question answering.

"J… Jenrya!!"

He paused again, but wouldn't return to looking at his mother once more. It seemed to rather irritate Jenrya that they would dare speak to him in such a scolding manner after everything he and Juri had been through… but how would _they_ know? How would _they_ understand?

_'The only reason they're so __**focused**__ on me right now is because I almost died,'_ Jenrya thought bitterly, keeping the surge of resentment coming after said thought tightly concealed within his mind. _'Can't they see I want to be alone right now? Ev__en when I'm sick, they have to be jumping all over me…maybe I should've just stayed outside.'_

That next thought just irked him. He was just thinking about going back **outside**… and most likely landing right in the middle of Limbo once more. Why was Jenrya making it seem like that going back there was BETTER than being back home amongst his overly worried family…?

Maybe he just wasn't ready to deal with their concern and their nosy questions yet?

Or was he almost listening to what that voice was saying to him?

"… _What?_" Jenrya finally said aloud, having to now close his eyes in order to maintain the look of him being calm. The tone of his voice, however… was anything but calm. It sounded just as frustrated and annoyed as he did the first time he looked at Mayumi.

Mayumi backed off from saying anything else. She was officially in shock… and it left her quite speechless, as she tried to figure out how she was going to communicate with her son in these conditions. Determined to not let Jenrya leave their sight again until he explained himself, yet… trying not to provoke whatever had him bothered at the moment. She simply didn't know what to say now.

Rinchei, who had been quieter than anyone since they discovered Jenrya's nearly frozen self on festival night, was now finally ready to say a few words for the situation. He made sure to look disapproving of his little brother's behavior; after all, for being one not on Jenrya's good side right now, it would only just be a blatant lie to pretend everything was okay.

"You shouldn't be so disrespectful to mom like that," he informed. The rest of the family all cast eyes on him now. "And it's not like she doesn't have a right to ask you any questions… you've been gone _all day_, Jenrya. I think you at least owe us an explanation of where you ran off to… because you look pretty healthy right now."

Harsh as Rinchei might've seemed, he did have a point. Jenrya was looking _much_ healthier than when he saw him last. Not to say he was back at 100, but Jenrya obviously had no problem with walking on his own, and keeping a good posture about himself as he stood at that very moment. "For all the worrying you put us through… you really should tell us what's going on. Sick or not, you're still one of our family…"

"Your point being?" Jenrya cut in sharply, in no mood for a lecture.

"So you shouldn't hide things from us!" Rinchei shouted suddenly, now insulted beyond anything to be interrupted when he was trying to be helpful. "And I think it's pretty obvious that you're _hidin__g_ something from everyone! You're only hurting yourself by keeping it bottled up inside, you know…!"

"Right, I'm sure you'd know all about that," Jenrya countered, ready to resume walking to his room any second now. "But that's fine, because to be honest, I really don't care about what you think, because I don't have _any_ interest in talking about what happened to me today." His eyes narrowed. "_If_ anything really happened. But I guess you won't find that out from me… why do you care, anyway? I'm back in one piece."

He was officially halfway to his bedroom door. Terriermon had a great desire to do **something**— tell Jenrya off for treating his family so badly, let the family know that it was apparent something DID happen to him… however, Terriermon barely knew more than they did on this incident. And the entire Lee family had practically counted on Terriermon to get all the information sorted out before he brought their missing member home.

But if Jenrya wouldn't even talk to his Digimon partner about what had happened… how was he ever going to come close to telling the rest of his family, or even his friends anything? Juri seemed to know something earlier, Terriermon recalled… but right at the end before they parted ways, he could tell that Juri was just as confused as he and Renamon were on Jenrya's sudden change in attitude. Jenrya was indeed the type of person who would hide his personal problems from the crowd, after all. That's why Terriermon himself was _still_ the only one who really knew about Jenrya's past pre-Tamer days. About the day Jenrya had gone too far in his martial arts abilities…

With all that in perspective (as this was one of Jenrya's most loathed memories), it seemed to amaze Terriermon now that he was even allowed to know about _that_. He wasn't sure what could've possibly been worse than that day that could've happened to him today… but Terriermon was certain that it was either that, or Jenrya was hiding on purpose. Somehow he intentionally didn't want anyone to know how he spent his day…

The circumstances that he and Renamon found Jenrya and Juri under made the case all the more mysterious, though.

Terriermon still couldn't make himself speak out. It wasn't like he could help the Lees any more than Jenrya was willing to. And since the Lees had no idea _what_ happened in the least, there was a chance that Terriermon would be the one to get hassled for information again, when he's unable to give them any. He wanted to keep Jenrya available for as long as he was able to stand being around them…

… For whatever reason he _wasn't_ able to tolerate his company…

Rinchei looked sharply to Terriermon. And this was the moment Terriermon was hoping wouldn't happen yet. "Can't _you_ get through to him…?"

"Really; I'd like to know what's going on," Janyuu added, walking over to his youngest son and bravely reaching out to grab onto his arm. "Jian, this isn't the time to be ignoring us. We're only your family… and we just want to make sure you're alright."

"He wouldn't talk to me," Terriermon admitted; fully intimidated of what Jenrya might do if he dared to blab anything out. "He said he needed some rest… a-and I guess he was gonna tell us later, y'know."

"I _do_ need rest," Jenrya clarified, voice risen and irritated. "Now let me _go_, dad…"

"Well," Janyuu sighed out… disappointed in the thought of letting Jenrya go like this without him telling anyone anything about what happened. The fact that he wouldn't be getting much information from Terriermon wasn't making this any easier. "You'll have a lot of explaining to do when you're feeling better, understand…?"

"Are you going to be up for going to school tomorrow?" Mayumi asked, though she felt almost too intrusive in doing so. Her son looked anything but ready to go back to school after whatever he just went through…

"_Whatever_," Jenrya growled in exasperation, forcing himself out of Janyuu's grasp. This time, no one would be stopping him as he once again continued to walk. "I'm going to take my nap now, if you all don't _mind_. I'd rather you didn't try to wake me up, either."

Everyone felt the urge to object verbally, but by the time they had the ability to finally do so… the door to Jenrya's room slammed shut. Listening closely, Jenrya's family could hear Jenrya locking the door, indicating how serious he was about having his privacy.

"I… guess this means we've got no choice but to wait." Janyuu figured. Terriermon nodded when he was looked to for confirmation.

"Believe me, we all tried getting him to talk. It's not as easy as it looks!"

"He never likes letting us know when he's sad, or when he gets a boo-boo," Shuichon thoughtfully added. "It'd be so much easier if he just said something. Why doesn't he trust us?"

Lopmon, who was also standing silently with her partner the whole time just shook her head. "Your brother needs some time alone to think, Shuichon. Sometimes people need a little privacy to cool off and reflect on bad things that might've happened to them." She tried looking happy for the other members of the family. "I think, after Jenrya gets that time, he'll open up to you all a bit more. You just need to have faith in him."

"It wouldn't hurt at this point, I guess," Rinchei said with a shrug, continuing to look on at the closed door. "I just… I don't know. I can't help but have a bad feeling about this whole ordeal…"

Mayumi turned to Jaarin, who was the only one who'd yet to say anything since Jenrya returned. Despite assuring her and Ruki before that they wouldn't be blamed for anything that happened, she could still sense that overpowering guilt consuming Jaarin from within.

"… It wasn't your fault, dear. Don't worry about it."

Jenrya nearly collapsed on his bed after securing his door. He backed himself up against the wall, kicking his shoes off (as he didn't even have the courtesy of taking them off at the door to put his house slippers on) and spreading his legs horizontally across his bed, his long limbs coming well over the edge of it. Jenrya struggled to at least remain sitting up, as he somehow wasn't exactly ready to go to bed yet. However, he was well past exhausted; with aching limbs, a worn out, over-stressed body and a weary mind that had clearly done too much thinking in a small amount of time.

He looked over to his computer area. The system was turned off, leaving the monitor shiny and black, cleanly reflecting Jenrya's pitiful position on his bed. What Jenrya wouldn't give to just play on his computer without a care in the world, just as he always did during his few moments of privacy in the past…

"What's _wrong_ with me…?" Jenrya wondered out loud. "Nothing's felt right since…" Against his will, his memory just reminded him. "… Since I remembered that time…"

**"So, was I not right? You **_**do**_** hate handling the truth."**

Jenrya snapped out of his delirious train of thought. His room was still visible, but now was laden in darkness, and even more to his discomfort, the slime. Immediately, Jenrya jolted out of his bed and stood defensively, determined not to be trapped again. His arrogant acquaintance was yet to be seen.

"Come on…!! I know you're there!" Jenrya shouted. "I'm not telling you anything until you stop being a coward!"

**"That's your insecurity talking, Jenrya Lee. You don't feel safe here until you know there's someone here with you." **Nonetheless, the better-developed figure made its presence known just as that was said. **"I'm sure you felt much better when you found Juri Katou earlier… that's just too bad then, that she has to miss out on the fun now."**

"You leave her out of this!" Jenrya ordered, a fierce gleam in his eyes now present. "I don't want you dragging her into this mess; it's pointless! I think she's been through enough for one lifetime… just keep this between you and me, if that's alright _with you." _

Once again, it was almost ignoring Jenrya's request completely. **"It's kind of ironic once you think about it. I mean, you're notorious for always wanting your 'alone time', Jenrya. In fact, just a while ago it seemed your desire for privacy backfired on you. You wanted some solitary thinking tim****e, but instead you got me."**

"Between you and my family, I think I'd choose my family in a heartbeat," Jenrya pointed out. "You don't qualify as anything but a stalker."

**"You still desired someone to be with. You were miserable being alone in that dimensi****on. And I happened to be available."**

"Anyone who wouldn't be miserable in that place wouldn't be human," Jenrya countered, keeping a constant look of 'Get Out Of My Room' directed to the figure. "So if you're done with me now, I'd really love it if you just took your leave. It's one thing to get me outside, but you do **not** barge into my room and try to brainwash me when I'm trying to get some rest."

**"That wasn't why I came for a little visit," **the sentient fog shadow insisted. **"And I can promise you that ****I won't be around for much longer… I merely wanted to congratulate you."**

Jenrya only rolled his eyes, not even close to thinking about believing it for even a second. "The first thing you do when you come here is insult me. You're full of contradictions…"

**"I knew you wouldn't give me a warm greeting either way," **the stranger mentioned, almost apathetically. **"So I didn't figure you'd mind a little insight into your behavior before I congratulated you on finding a piece of your memory… regarding that festiv****al. And so soon, at that. You even had **_**me**_** surprised."**

It was a little suspicious… but Jenrya all of a sudden felt a change in who he was talking to… he just didn't seem quite as fake now, for some reason… it just about seemed like just some other person. And the idea of this happening just wouldn't sit well with Jenrya. "Well…" Jenrya was a tad nervous… "W-what did you expect? That I'd take forever remembering, just because I have issues with accepting the truth..?"

**"It's just that, you've really must've**** been listening to me,"** it replied. **"And you really believed me; after all the pointless arguing you did, trying to make a point of how I was a liar and couldn't know anything about you… you listened to me after it all. And you've gotten what you wanted, d****idn't you?" **

"I'm not about to give you all the credit," Jenrya clarified, trying to hide any hint of softening up to this stranger just yet. "And don't think I'm going to start believing this 'Avoid Takato!' brainwashing either."

The figure just stood there, seeming unfamiliar with the topic. **"Avoiding Takato?"**

Bam. Patience was already gone again. "If you're not even going to admit what you did, just get out of here," Jenrya ordered, pointing to the nearest window. "I've had it up to _here_ with your lies, and I'm not in the mood to look at you and try to reason with you when I know it's not going to get me anywhere."

**"Oh, you must mean the gut instinct thing I told you about…"**

Annoyance levels were rising to dangerously high levels… once more… "Yeah. Just by admitting that you know about it, even though you weren't even there at the time… that's more than enough proof to tell me that was all a setup. So just leave."

The figure just sighed, more in despair than frustration. **"I really wish I could tell you**** more, if I knew you could handle it…"** it bemoaned regretfully. **"This situation would make much more sense to you that way… and you'd be surprised to know just how different this is, from what you're thinking of it."**

Jenrya turned away completely, facing his bed. He bowed his head so he could focus on it better… the darkness and the slime didn't concern him at all now. He was simply too fed up to _care_. For him, this just simply wasn't the right time; not so soon after what he'd been through this day. As far as he was concerned, this day was _over_, and he wanted nothing more to do with it.

"… Just… get out. I mean _right now_, too. Not five minutes from now, not half an hour. Right this **second**. Keep your filthy dimension here for all I care," Jenrya offered, not exactly sounding as apathetic as he hoped. He closed his eyes, refusing to look at the figure any longer. "All I want right now is some rest."

That's just what Jenrya did. Ignoring absolutely everything going on in his secluded little room, blocking out any further words coming from his current company, he parted his bedsheets, climbed in, and laid against his single pillow. He didn't bother opening his eyes again, but he knew he'd never _really_ get to sleep until he was sure the nature of his room was back to normal. Jenrya wasn't willing to admit it out loud, but all the aspects of that lonely dimension have utterly frightened him. And it was probably safe to say that the darkness, the never-ending pathways to nowhere, and most of all the slime will have infinitely scarred him.

But he didn't want to think about the long-term effects this would have on his emotional state right now. Jenrya just tried his best to finally get to sleep... and hoped when he woke up, he wouldn't find the room the same way it was now.

The dark vapor sighed to itself when it realized Jenrya apparently wasn't going to converse anymore today. Honestly, all it was going to tell Jenrya now was about the remaining parts of his lost memory…

_**'I suppose I'm rushing this proces**__**s a bit,'**_ it thought. _**'Perhaps I just underestimated how much work this was going to require of me… someone who knows him better than anyone else.'**_Without spending more time worrying about it, the stranger walked over to the bed, the darkness and slime still present everywhere in the room, with a good amount of said slime draped across random areas of the bed.

It was sort of amazing watching Jenrya just simply _ignore_ it all.

The figure knew it would be better to simply keep quiet; disturbing Jenrya was a burden it'd rather not deal with at the moment. _**'Then again, if I keep at this the right way, the easier it'll get… and sooner or later, he won't be able to ignore the truth anymore.'**_The figure's small blobbish extension at the end of his limb (that was trying to look like a hand) was careful as it lightly touched the nearest strand of slime to Jenrya. Said strand was also one of the few actually touching the boy, just barely over his shoulder, which most of was covered by a sheet.

The strand weakly illuminated, carrying the effect onto Jenrya's entire body. However, the effect was subtle enough to keep him undisturbed. Jenrya himself wasn't feeling any different as he continued his slumber. Surprisingly, Jenrya in fact was a bit of a light sleeper… but his mind was simply too preoccupied with all of his worries and doubts now taking advantage of their chance to demand some of his attention.

The glowing only took a few moments, and promptly ended when the figure released its hand… which now finally had discernible fingers. The slime retreated… the darkness faded into normal light, and Jenrya more or less looked unaffected.

The figure though… it was easy to tell it was male now. The limbs were much more defined as such, and everything was finally balancing out to make the figure look more like a human being.

The hair, however, was the greatest change at all. Short, spiky, and most of it seeming to go just one side. Though the specter was still, in essence, made of the same fog it was in the last two forms, it was still a very impressive human mold, now just lacking the extreme details such as texture and clothing… and perhaps more could develop in the facial area. But far away, this figure could've seemed just like another person.

Just one glance at the mirror was enough to satisfy him, as he moved toward the window as Jenrya previously instructed him to exit via. For now, he was done, as with a little more thinking, he decided it might be better to give Jenrya some time before dropping in to bother him again. Being an annoyance and interrogating Jenrya when he was in a bad mood was only shoving him further back from what he wanted to achieve.

And if the figure were to reach his goal, and make an impact on the world as a person, he'd have to be more careful in how he was playing the game. He gave Jenrya one last look before phasing through the window and into the cold air of the outdoors, about twenty stories above the ground. As the sun sank below the horizon, the figure too faded with the daylight.

* * *

( POV - Takato )

* * *

Last time I asked, it had been a week since the festival.

It wasn't until today that I was finally feeling better enough to get up and move around, coherently think and talk to my family and friends… and just generally be out of bed. My fevers, et cetera had all gone down by now. My mom finally said I could come back to school tomorrow…

Despite missing out on the social fun of school (riiiiiight…), my friends were still around to catch me up on things going on, bring me the homework so I wouldn't be too terribly behind when I came back… and just generally see me, I guess. Up until now, I didn't realize that I was such a huge part of everyone's social lives. Like in some way, people are just drawn to me some way, somehow…

It felt good, though. It really made me feel important… not that I had doubts over that to begin with, but now I really felt like I was more than just the guy who wore goggles over his forehead. I really stood out more than I thought.

Guilmon hadn't left my side until I assured him that I would be okay… and I think by now that doesn't really come as a surprise. Mom, of course, lectured me day in and day out about me taking better care of myself from now on, so she wouldn't be tempted to limit my freedoms this time… it's really too bad that I still don't exactly remember everything that happened. Thanks to Terriermon, I at least know most of the incident, and how I really _would_ almost die from being in a freezing lake for so long…

I'm thankful that Dad at least stayed calm throughout this period of time, especially when I was getting better. The first days of me being sick are a little fuzzy in my memory now. I still know what happened, and so does everyone else… but it's still a little hard to believe. Especially since no one ever found out what could've caused that mini 'heart attack' I had that one day.

Actually, just _thinking_ about that and how it was able to happen to _me_ was more disturbing than anything.

Still, really… I've been feeling much better since then. My friends coming by to pump my spirits up helped that much more. It was really a good time to get reminded on how much they cared… Juri came to visit me every day, before the sun rose in the morning prior to school time, and one more time after school, sometimes even past dinner time.

I think she never really did miss a day out on visiting me… and while that still made me tense, I think it gave me a lot of hope, somehow. She was able to give me most of the homework, and she spent a lot of time talking to me… even when I was asleep. … Yeah, one time I overheard her but just pretended to continue on sleeping… just out of curiosity. Just in case she'd say anything of importance while she thought I wasn't listening…

… no, no love confession yet. Admittedly, this would be a weird time to go about confessing my love to her.

Still, we always had meaningful conversations, and it didn't end here. Heh… sometimes she's a nice alternate to Jen. Especially since Jen's nowhere near as chatty as Juri, nor anyone else for that matter. I'm just glad she was here for me, and in a lot of ways this gave me a lot of hope for the future… because I knew all good, lasting relationships were largely based on close friendships. And as the days go by, Juri and I just ever so gradually become closer… now, in some ways, I'm kind of glad I got into a near-death situation. I can just… somehow feel the _bond_ expand at a must faster rate than it normally was during the weeks before the festival.

I'd freeze to death for more of that any day…

Hirokazu and Kenta at least visited me on the every-other-day average. And I could understand, as they were busy people these days. Kenta was sure to bring me any extra homework Juri couldn't retrieve. Hirokazu was all up into the gossip going around in the school, making sure I didn't miss out on a single rumor, despite how much I might actually _care_ for it… but both of them were completely gung-ho on getting me new cards and toys and things like that… and as awkward as it was (especially concerning those two), I just couldn't hurt their feelings by refusing them. So now I've got three new decks of cards for my D-Arc and more new pencils and ink pens than I know what to do with.

It was convenient. I'd been trying to write in my journal whenever I was up to it now; I've clearly been neglecting it. How do those people online possibly keep up with theirs…?

I admit, I got nervous whenever Hirokazu entered my room, because I know him well enough to know his hunger for blackmail. And if he stumbled upon my journal, though it didn't have a lot of content, had just enough for Hirokazu to make me the laughing stock of the entire school… well, then I should've just stayed frozen and saved myself the lifetime of embarrassment.

Ruki even popped in for a visit every now and then... at least, more than I thought she would. Definitely not on a regular basis, but just enough to make me wonder what ulterior motives she had planned. But after I heard the story, I realized she was probably seeing me a lot out of guilt for what she and Jaarin did… even though it really didn't have anything to do with me. Still, I could see why that would prompt someone like Ruki to see me more often than she usually does. I thought what they pulled on Jenrya was pretty cruel and ruthless, though… especially for Ruki, since she had a pretty stupid reason for doing it in the first place.

Then again, I guess Ruki has her _own_ logic that makes it work perfectly fine in her world. Eh, girls...

But after I heard everything, and how hard Ruki and Jaarin were taking it during the aftermath of it all…I'm not really mad at them now. I don't think they had any right to do what they did, but it's obvious that they learned from their mistakes. At times like this, you just can't be petty about such wrongdoings. And it was our job to make assure Ruki and Jaarin that they were forgiven for what they did, because no matter how mean their intentions were, we… we know they never would've let the outcome happen, if they knew they could prevent it.

They're still our friends… stuff just happens sometimes.

Jaarin actually visited a couple of times, along with Shuichon. Ryo was visiting just about as frequently. But he lived out of town, so I could understand that. And it's not like I really know Jenrya's sisters very well in the least… as much time as I've spent with Jen, I never got well acquainted with the rest of his family, so it's a little surprising that I saw as much of the girls as I did. Not that I really got to know them any better from their visits; they spent most of their time just asking how I was doing. Jaarin still had the look of guilt on her face… a very bold 'This Is All My Fault' gesture. I've tried saying that no one blamed her for it, and I wasn't mad at her… then again, I heard that just about everyone tried telling her the same thing, and Jaarin's mood still had yet to improve since the night we were found.

Oh yes, those Lees tend to be very stubborn.

Ryo asked me the same questions regarding my health, and he seemed to be pretty optimistic about my recovery. At least _someone_ believed in me… he sounded pretty regretful that he couldn't be around more to help, but I made sure to let him know that he's more than doing his part. I couldn't ask any more from Ryo, honestly.

Shuichon was just kind of there for moral support. Oh, and she would update me on Jenrya's condition and how he was doing. It's really more useful than it sounds.

Especially considering that…

That…

… Jenrya… hadn't come to visit me at **all**.

He didn't come once. No quickie stopping bys, no letters, no email, not a single phone call…

Even when I asked my friends if Jenrya had anything he wanted to tell me, or anything at ALL regarding me, everyone had the same response: Nothing. N-nothing… at all.

The way my friends sound, they haven't really gotten to talk to Jenrya that much. Sure, they've seen him at school… and I understand that Jen's had his fair share of time being sick like me (and I'll marvel at his ability to recover a _lot_ faster than I can), but still. And it's not like I haven't been making my attempts to get in touch with him too, despite how horrible I've been feeling all this time. I still found the time and energy to send him numerous emails and called him at least once a day if I was well enough.

Still yet, I'd always get every member of the Lee family **except** Jenrya. And whenever they checked, Jenrya was never able to come to the phone, and in most cases they never really tell me why. They'll promise me that they'd call back whenever Jenrya was available… and then never call back for the rest of the night.

More than once, have I just sat there on my bed, my eyes glued to the clock, with the phone lying eagerly on my lap. The night hours would press on and on… with my mom and dad repeatedly telling me to go to sleep, until they gave up and turned in around midnight… Guilmon repeatedly suggesting I get some rest, until he conked out an hour or so later…

One time the phone did ring after I called Jenrya. About half an hour or so later, I did get a call…

It was Yamaki, wishing me a fast recovery on behalf of Hypnos and the Monster Makers.

Another day I got another would-be returned call… I was probably too eager and had my hopes up _way_ too high…

Instead of Jenrya, it was Impmon, Ai, and Makoto. Telling me pretty much the same thing as Yamaki had.

I'd stay up almost until the crack of dawn… and by then I'd give up hope and pass out. I knew Jenrya would sometimes stay up late, though rarely on a school night. But with no way to keep in contact with him, I'd never know until I just tried to stay up. Even if he was hardly available, I wanted to remain that way as long as I could, should he ever want to get a hold of me for any reason…

… I just didn't understand. Jenrya does tend to busy himself with schoolwork and whatever the heck he does on his computer, but as long as I've been around him, he's _never_ been too busy for me. I mean, sometimes it's like he completely goes out of his way to make his free time so he can spend it with me every day. And honestly, I'm flattered that he thinks I'm so important… but I guess I can't be surprised.

It's not like he goes together with Hirokazu or Kenta like pickles and tacos. He hasn't really spoken with Juri until recently. Ruki… they're practically oil and water. Ryo's never around… he doesn't really seem to acknowledge Jenrya's existence too much anyway. And I can relate to that. I guess you have to be special or something to be really **seen** by Ryo.

And he gets more Shuichon than any of us; I can tell that stresses him out. I don't really know anyone from his classes, but it's apparent no one really takes much notice to him either. … Now that I reflect on it, it's kind of weird how Jen never once _comp__lained_ about not being noticed often. Maybe it's a good thing that he's got an extremely gabby partner in Terriermon… maybe that's what's still keeping him satisfied. Even if he never really acts that way.

Still, it's a little weird to be thought of so highly by him. It's like as far as school goes, he really _doesn't_ have anyone else. No wonder he's been so into getting closer to Juri… I imagine it probably gets really lonely in the classes where I'm not with him. In this year's case, that's over half of them. He's usually perfectly fine in the classes he has with me, but it's a different story when I hear the group of girls behind me chattering on about the boys in the school. Juri's usually able to eavesdrop on the conversations and fill me in on anything I miss, but really… Jenrya's not a popular icon amongst the school's female population.

Seriously. No one really thinks he's hot (a little cute, maybe, but I hear from the girls that he could be much sexier if he just dressed up fancier and did something stylish with his hair…), and apparently they just have a problem with his utter lack of talking when I'm not around.

It doesn't matter to them how good he is in martial arts, because he doesn't really take up any extracurricular activities in sports when it comes to school anyway. His studies with Chou-sensei have nothing to do with our school at all… so I don't think anyone actually recognizes Jenrya for his talents in that department. So he doesn't play any actual sports, so of course the hot girls won't be screaming over him and his Captain-of-the-Soccer-Team glory.

I think he's on Student Council. But I don't often hear his name around the news regarding that group. … Probably just joined because his parents wanted him to. He's never really been too thrilled about being in the clubs at school, honestly. He's probably more content with being at home, sitting on that computer… I think I asked him one time why he doesn't try to enjoy the extracurricular stuff more, and why he doesn't participate in some more areas of it (because he definitely has the GPA for acceptance).

I believe what he told me was: 'They take up a lot of free time that I'm not willing to give away, Takato. Those academic clubs will be just fine without me, I'm sure. Besides, if I spent _all_ my free time at school, how would I be able to keep hanging around with you guys?'

But I knew when he said 'you guys', he really just meant 'you'. As in me. Because I can't recall a time he voluntarily went to hang out with _just_ Ruki, or _j__ust_ Hirokazu or Kenta. Then again, I guess I can't be sure of that completely. But the way I know him, if he's not out with me, he's at home on that computer. I'm almost sure of it.

… I really hope nothing's wrong with him. He's been worrying me sick all over again since the day where Juri said he _chose_ to not visit me… when I was still mildly suffering from that… coronary or something. I was thankful that Juri was at least there… except I think I kept holding onto her hand for dear life right up until she left the next day. Guh… at least my being sick wouldn't make her suspect anything that way. But still, Jenrya choosing not to see me when I needed him… everyone else was there, I mean. Considering even Ruki, who completely went out of her way to take care of me... and Jenrya's the one to skip out? After he's already over the sickness?

This is Jenrya who throws fits at himself if he doesn't think he got me a good enough _birthday present_, for crying out loud! And trust me, I've seen him do it!

Why would he **not** want to see me? … Was he just scared of seeing me that seriously ill? I doubted it. He's been through way scarier experiences in the D-Reaper incident. Seeing a pale and suffering me wouldn't be _that_ nightmare-inducing, I'd hope…

Guh. This is getting me nowhere. I really should just call him again, but that'll probably flop just like all the other times. I'll have a _real_ chance tomorrow, at least, when I come to school. I'll come super-early, just like Jen, and track him down. … I guess confronting him in that threatening way isn't really a proper thing to do after not seeing him in several days (despite how it might be just the thing he _needs_…), but pretending nothing is going on isn't the right thing to do either. I suppose the least I could do is just be casual about it. I should be able to find out what's wrong with Jen within the first five minutes of talking to him anyway, because he's really bad at hiding his problems… especially from me.

It just hurts, you know? These days, I usually don't go over 24 hours without seeing his face. Now it's been almost a week and I haven't even heard his voice, or seen written/typed words in the fashion I've come to know as the special way that Jenrya writes that just lets me know that's really him… he's totally disappeared from my life in the matter of a week, almost.

I couldn't just let it all die like this. Jen and I may not have been friends for as long as I've been with… pretty much all my other friends, but every single moment we've had since the start has more than made up for the fact, and now he's closer to me than anyone else. That was really impressive to me…

… Now I just wish I could _see_ him. I suddenly didn't feel like waiting until the next morning for that… I didn't want to just SIT here in my bed while I could be outside and heading over to his house right now! … Of course mom wouldn't have any of that, I guess. She's probably intent with keeping me indoors as long as she possibly can. But I was tired of trying to call him and email him because that was sure to never work. And it wouldn't fulfill my desire to just… you know, SEE him physically. Something was scaring me deep inside, just telling me that hearing his voice wouldn't be enough…

I had to be _there_ to comfort him…

… Wait. Idea time. I know how I can _see_ him… technically. So with that, I pulled my legs to the edge of the bed and stood. The floor seemed a lot colder than the depths of my bed under the sheets, but in a way it was a bit refreshing. I'd only been out of my bed a few times now, but it was getting easier to get around the more times I left the bed.

I walked across my room and to my desk, where I normally did my drawing and homework-doing (what little I actually _did_ at home). Guilmon was downstairs eating old bread, probably. I'm sure my parents were down there too… so my room, for the first time since the festival, was dead empty save for me, and just as quiet.

A little too anxiously, I sat down in my chair and didn't waste any time opening the top drawer to my desk. Let's see...

Pens, pencils, colored pens, colored pencils… did I still have **crayons** in here? Sheesh. Might be high time for a little spring-cleaning whenever I feel like doing the cleaning (oh, right… which is never!). Ahh, yes, pencil sharpener, erasers of all kinds… rulers, paintbrushes (what? Since when did I paint? Oh, right… that flag thing, and the Growlmon camouflage), extra sheets of blank paper… noooot what I'm looking for, so I shut that drawer.

I was kind of hoping it wasn't in there, anyway. All the spilled paints in there might've ruined it…

So I opened the lower drawer to my right. … Junk. I wouldn't stuff something like that in the junk drawer.

It must be the left drawer, then. So with the greatest ease, I pulled it open… my collection of junk from behind me caught my eye as I was opening that drawer, so I averted my gaze from the drawer to the very thing grabbing my immediate attention… my framed picture of Juri.

Yeah. It may seem like a bold move, but to keep people from teasing me about it, I also had framed pictures of Hirokazu and Kenta next to Juri's. Then one unframed photo of everyone all together, even with Ryo and Shuichon included.

I ran out of frames, yeah. It always slips my mind to buy more whenever I have the money to spend, too. But it made me happy to always have pictures of my friends to refer to whenever I'd be feeling lonely. Plus, I can have immediate references if I ever felt like drawing any of them!

I looked back to where I was pulling. The drawer was open now, revealing all the other assorted smaller-sized junk and knickknacks I never felt like arranging otherwise. But I didn't even have to look; I reached inside and pulled out just what I was looking for.

A picture of Jenrya. Yeah, I was desperate enough to consider this a bootleg form of having his company.

It was just wallet-sized, and it was from the picture trade we had at school last year. I didn't put it up since it'd only look a tad weird being next to all the bigger pictures. Not really meant to be framed, either. But since I don't carry a wallet at the moment, I just put it safely in my desk, in the drawer where it was sure to remain there undamaged.

To be honest, I didn't have many pictures of Jen. In fact, this is really the only _recent_ one of him that I own. And I'm really not sure how it never occurs to me any other time that I only HAVE a handful of Jenrya pictures total, and I should maybe ask for some more, but… it's really weird in that sense. Jen's not the kind of person that you just casually ask for photos of him. Maybe he's camera-shy? Even in the group picture that I have out, he's well into the background, even moreso than Ruki (who for some reason or another just can't **stand** cameras…), so he doesn't show up that well.

I can't see why he would be. He seems so calm in this school picture… his navy hair just the same as it's always been… short as can be, spiky, going off to the side… it must be pretty easy to have your hair like that. It's not too hard to get mine into a disaster state, and I don't even want to fathom the horrors of having hair like Hirokazu (or Ryo, for that matter… then again, Ryo's perfect and probably has his own flawless battle plan for his hair). But with Jen, he just kept his quaint and simple… the girls always criticized this, saying he could do so much more with it, but I kind of find it endearing.

Then there was his skin… and the unique color it was, definitely standing out from the normal Caucasian-ness of me and Hirokazu, and the pale white in Kenta, Juri, and Ruki. Even though it was obvious I don't kid about how much time Jen spends indoors, (because despite the fact that he DOES have a darker skin tone, he _still_ looks like he desperately needs a tan…) it was still neat, and different. The olive tone adds on to his charm… plus it at least helps him stand out a little more. Jenrya might not be widely popular, but ask around about "that Chinese kid" and anyone can point right to him without any hesitation. Though for me it'd be a bit unsettling that people would recognize you better as "that Chinese kid" rather than your own name, or even surname.

But there was also another definitive trait that just expressed Jen so well. Those soft gray eyes of his… always having that peculiar slant that once again screams "CHINESE!!". Despite his eyes being completely devoid of a real color, they were still often full of warmth and comfort… and I could always look at him with ease. Always full of concern and wonder… thought… it's the eyes that often make me think about Jen the most. I think the time he blew up at Shuichon in the Digital World was a sign that he doesn't really like getting overly emotional in public. For much of the time after, he was pretty calm and reserved, and was content just being our Strategy Guy who came up with plans.

His eyes, however, were showing me any emotion Jen was too afraid to vocalize or act out. So I learned to pay extra careful attention to them… they usually tell me things that Jen himself won't.

In the process, though, the eyes just… draw me in…

I want to know more, why Jen does what he does… and I constantly wish I could help him more than I usually do. But… I have a bad habit of spacing out…

Sometimes I'll lose myself just by looking…

But there's warmth. Warmth that practically radiates from those steely gray eyes of his… and it's telling me that Jenrya is so lonely… so much he doesn't realize how much he's missing out… but how can I help him? How can I do more for him…?

Spending every day with him isn't enough, is it…?

Even if it was just a picture… maybe looking as deep as I could at Jenrya's posing-mode eyes would give me some sort of idea… as I pulled the picture closer.

Something was tugging at my heart. It wasn't a pain, but just some kind of weird feeling. … Déjà vu? But how?

I closed my own eyes, trying to think back to the festival. I did recall that Jen and I went through a lot just to stay alive. Terriermon's story supported that memory well. I just… wished I remembered what happened after Terriermon left us. Something just didn't seem right… it seemed so unfinished, and unresolved.

… I hope I didn't make Jenrya angry… really, the last thing I need right now is having him mad at me for some reason I can't even remember.

But something was _there_ that night. Terriermon wasn't going into detail, but I know he was leaving something out when he was reciting his story to the families. At least, when the story was relayed back to me, no one mentioned anything peculiar between me and Jen, other than accidentally ending up on the same boat together…

There had to have been more than that, though. Just as I was really into thinking about it, I felt some sort of soft anxiousness in my heart… my entire body gave a quick shudder, and I felt myself practically melt into my chair… my heartbeat going back to normal… and for the first time since I can remember… I was completely, totally _relaxed_.

It felt like I hadn't been like this in ages. … But the feeling felt so _familiar_, like I had definitely experienced it before… was it another memory lapse? I almost felt too good to care…

I felt so… so… _protected_.

So loved and cared for… I'd gladly stay like this forever if it weren't completely impossible… I couldn't ask for better comfort… so warm and soft… gentle… here I was, sick of being overwhelmed by warm blankets and heaters, but **this** feeling… this… I couldn't get enough of it…!

Unable to hold back any longer, I let a deep sigh escape my mouth…

… Only to find that the noise of the sigh never came out. The air exhaled was blown right back at me through my nose. Uh…

It was time to open my eyes again.

I did so, and found my mouth to be only capable of muffled sounds.

…

The picture of Jen was a _lot_ closer to my face than I thought.

It's kind of a good thing the picture wasn't as big as the others… I might've gotten a good scare that way. But it still didn't… change the fact…

… That my lips were… planted _right_ on that very picture.

…

STORY OF MY LIFE! Takato Matsuda.

His first kiss was on a _photograph_ of his **best friend**True story!

Uh…

Yeah.

You know what? It's high time I reacted to this relevation.

… I plucked out my journal and opened up to a blank page. I stared at it, and... using one of my giant felt-tipped pens, doodled 'I LOVE JENRYA' right across, taking up that whole page. I turned to a fresh page; more or less... I did the exact same thing as before. I turned to another page. Rinse and repeat!!

Was this making any sense…? OF COURSE NOT!! But I just didn't know what made sense anymore… one minute I'm talking about Jenrya, and the next minute I want to freaking KISS him! And now my hand is apparently possessed!

WHY?!

Was… was this the whole reason behind all of my whining from before…?! Me being so worried about Jenrya?! Was all this just because I wanted to **kiss **him?! Why DID I want to kiss him all of a sudden…?

W-why do I keep writing these three particular words...?

Come to think of it… why haven't I kissed him _before_?

Uh, wait… because you don't normally kiss your best friend. Duh. … So why am I suddenly pissed at myself for NOT kissing him?! I should be pissed at myself for not kissing Juri yet…!

Wait, wait… anger's still there… I'm still frustrated… oh, crap. I **AM** still pissed at myself for not kissing Juri yet.

Yet **now** I'm pissed for not getting to kiss Jen, too?!

W-well… I just don't… GET the urge to kiss people for no reason…

Oh. … OH. Oh, oh no. No no no no no no…

NO.

… yes.

It's all true. I didn't want it to be, but when I read over what I just completely spammed my own journal with, taking put pretty much every page it offered now... it all became clear.

I got out a different pen, and scribbled over what I originally wrote... though it was basically the same words. Only with Juri in the name spot! Wait, what?!

… I just didn't get it. Not at all. Why? WHY did I have to go and bring this on myself? Never in a million years would I have guessed… that the whole reason I didn't want Jenrya and Juri to get together was because…

Because…

… I fell in love with _both_ of them.

Well.

This would certainly explain why Jenrya might **hate** me right now… or at least why he wouldn't be talking to me. … That would mean that he knows. W-would he know? How could he know before I do?!

… Did I… do something to him during the festival? While I was freezing to death and fighting for my life…? I couldn't have… could I? … This would be so much freaking easier if I just remembered what happened that night…!

I… this just all too much now! And the only thing I could think of doing now was… just to keep up what I was doing. Reaffirming my feelings like this, so open and freely… it cleared my mind. It's like I wanted to write these words since Day One...

"Son!"

My mind broke its way back into reality, as I looked to my closed front door, which was being knocked upon. The voice? My dad's...

The knocking wouldn't cease… quickly, I looked down to see my journal with horrible, incriminating secrets tattooed all over it. My entire face felt red-hot and was probably as flushed as a beet. Ink was running everywhere... I feel just like that one time when I accidentally stumbled into one of my dad's 'secret' magazines!

That matter would just have to be dealt with later. I threw my journal straight under my bed and tried to wipe the ink stains away... but I then remembered ink doesn't go like that. I'd have to be one mean washing machine armed with death detergent to make _this_ go away. Natural that things like this never work out for me...!

"Takato!" Dad was sounding a lot more cheerful today for some reason… "I'm respecting your privacy by knocking, but asserting my authority as your father by coming in anyway!"

A threat if I ever heard one. Right as the knob was being turned, I made a desperate leap from my chair right to my bed… and the door opening pretty much distracted me, as expected, and I fell short…. Landing painfully on the floor, stomach first.

As my father entered, I somewhat wished that would've made me pass out. Now he'd see me… _awake_… like this…

Indeed, he looked nothing short of confused when he saw me sprawled on the floor. For a while, he just stared, probably trying to guess for himself what was going on. I didn't dare move an inch…

"Takato?" He sounded legitimately confused… so I guess he didn't draw any of his own conclusions. That's good…

"Yes… sir?" I sputtered out quietly, still on the ground… still on my stomach.

The puzzled gesture on my father's face still remained as he pointed at me. Oh god… "I know you're not sick anymore, but you were supposed to stay in bed."

Um…

"… No I wasn't?"

"Compelling argument; good enough for me," he resolved, assuming his normal laid back stance. … Huh? Well, okay… if he's that easily convinced. "Just be careful about your balance next time, okay?" He moved in to help me up, which I was grateful for… as long as he ignored the face that I was now trying to suppress my blushing face.

"Uh, sure…"

"Anyway, your mother sent me to help you down; dinner's in five minutes. Guilmon's already waiting for you in the kitchen for inevitable table scraps."

Oh dear. "Dare I ask what exactly _is_ dinner tonight?"

"Please, don't."

I sighed, straightening my stuff in my room out before following my dad out the door. Something like dinner wouldn't come near getting my mind off all this new stuff now… and I really needed to put some thought through this before I go to school in the morning. For all I know, things may not ever be the same between Jen, Juri, and me ever again…

I really hoped that wouldn't be the case. But with the suspicious things I've been hearing about those two since this incident, I just can't help but worry… what if they _do_ know? Do they approve of it or not…? Do they even _think_ of me in that way? At least Juri was still around me a lot, save for that one time that no one's been able to figure out yet… she didn't _seem_ like she knew at the time, though… but Jen… why would he do this if he didn't know?

Maybe it wouldn't be a good idea to bring this up to either of them tomorrow. At least until I can be absolutely sure if **either** of them know by this point. Because I particularly hated this feeling… and I knew it wasn't right to _feel _this way about two people. Until I could sort this out and SOMEHOW force it to make sense, and get things right to where I like only one person in that way, I figured it was best to keep this to myself as much as possible.

Then again, I could always use a little help… but I'll worry about that after I go talk to Jen tomorrow.

After all, now I can see why my heart aches so much when I haven't gotten to see him…

Right now I'd have to fill my mind with pointless topics for dinnertime. When I have a lot on my mind, mom will notice… and I don't think I'm ready to make this issue public yet.

Definitely not.

* * *

( POV - Ruki )

* * *

So I heard Takato's back on his feet as of today— good for him, then. Unfortunately I've been loaded down with homework today, so I didn't have any time for cross-school socializing today; it was straight to home with me after school.

Still, something about the state of the world was rubbing me the wrong way. We've gotten past the festival, Takato and Jenrya are back to full health now… Jaarin and I made amends, and I'd like to think it's all said and done…

That day, though… when Takato had that heart spasm… it was a big surprise to us to see Jenrya and Juri absent for much of that time. And still, even when Juri came back to us, but without Jen… she did seem sincerely sorry for the inconvenience she caused. I know Juri well enough now to read into her emotions by this point… But why was she avoiding our questions? Mine especially…

Her eyes were constantly averted from us. She wouldn't really tell us anything, saying it was confidential information or something. Normally I wouldn't buy that, and on that day in particular I was _pissed_, but when I saw Takato finally calming down when he saw her face… I knew it wasn't my place to put her on the spot now.

Takato was getting better with her around, and that's what mattered.

Since that day, we haven't seen much of each other. But I knew that was likely because Juri was spending all of her spare time with Takato, seeing him through his sickness. A couple of times I dropped by his place to check on his progress, more importantly to catch Juri in the process, but she always seemed to conveniently be out whenever I came over. So that's been concerning me… Juri was never one to back out on talking with me. Between that and school, I'd barely gotten the chance to even speak with her on the phone! It was ridiculous… and I knew something was up with her.

Something clearly happened to her on that day.

Call it a hunch, but I don't think I would've gotten anything out of Jenrya either. I at least _knew_ Juri; she was my best friend. The look in her eyes just screamed that she had a secret, but for some crazy reason she couldn't bring herself to tell anyone. And Jenrya, well… he's just naturally secretive. I'd probably be the last person to know about whatever's going on with him, so there was no point in straining for that. After all, considering the way this all happened, I was thinking that his problems are probably similar, if not the same as Juri's.

I really wanted to make use of my hours before bedtime tonight… maybe see what's wrong with her… but I guess it'd have to wait a little longer. I could always hope for Hirokazu, Kenta… maybe even Takato (now that he's healthy and all) to interrogate her enough to where she'll finally start talking. Damn this infernal homework… like I really need to ever apply the details on the French Revolution to real life…

Guillotines couldn't solve our problems now. Though things would probably be a lot freaking easier if they could.

"So, how was your day…?"

"Moronic, as usual," I remarked, turning to my partner, as it was pretty easy to find where her voice was coming from. She always seemed to like walking on the tops of walls and fences for some reason I haven't bothered asking about yet… "I've already got enough to be depressed about in my own life; why do I need to learn about a bunch of conformist retards over 300 years ago, Renamon?"

"I only know this," Renamon humbly admitted. "You're asking the wrong Digimon."

Whoops. Forgot again. Digimon and non-Digital World history don't mix. "… Oh, right. Sorry."

"You're excused," Renamon assured, smiling to me as we continued on the path home. "Not in the mood to see your friends today…?"

"I've got a lot of homework due tomorrow," I gestured to my bag, which was feeling at least three times heavier than it usually did. "Besides, it's not like I've got anything to worry about now. There's no point in me letting my grades slip when we're not in a state of emergency."

Renamon nodded. "It's good you prioritize these things well. But are you sure the homework will take you _all _night?"

"Well, let's see how long it takes me to get it done. If it's still daytime, I'll see what I can do."

"It's good you're learning to become more flexible," she complimented, and really seeming impressed with how calmly I was taking things. At least, compared to how I was regarding Jen and Juri's 'disappearance' fiasco… "You really are growing up, I believe."

I found myself smirking with that. "Please," I insisted. "There's no need to remind me."

"Sometimes, I feel like I should remind myself…" Renamon said, as I noticed her blatantly looking to the side past me. "More than sometimes, even."

I wasn't going to waste any time with wondering to myself. "What is it, Renamon?"

"Nothing, really," she tried assuring me, but I could tell she was beyond distracted. "But… when did this… construction on the other side of the street take place…?"

"It just started this week," I said, well remembering the traffic chaos that ensued the first day. "They're tearing down those old buildings, see?" I turned to face the other sidewalk, and made a pointing gesture. "Some of them are reaching to be over sixty years old soon, and they're starting to crumble. So they're going to be torn down, and I guess some newer ones will take their places. Any stores in those buildings have gone out of business at least ten years ago, anyway."

"That's… very interesting," Renamon remarked, still not keeping her eyes off the sight. "But things on this side of the street won't be affected, right?"

"Not as far as I know," I said, assuming to be correct… it didn't seem like they'd be messing into this side, since they would've already by now. Plus, there really aren't any buildings on this sidewalk…. Especially not old ones. "But they'd better not. The last thing I need is to have this get in my way of getting home. It'll be so annoying, trying to find an alternate route…"

"Just making sure. The other side seems a bit dangerous, with all of the machines, wet cement, holes in the ground, and rubble everywhere…" Hm… she seemed worried about something.

"I'll worry about it when it comes, but what's with you?" I asked, trying not to sound too demanding.

"I see someone on the other side," she said, squinting her eyes.

"Your point?"

"Look, Ruki."

I was so dreading this, since I had a nagging feeling tugging at my heart… it was telling me who it thought this was…

I closed my eyes; I REALLY didn't want to know… as I walked faster to catch up to who was ahead of me on the other side… oh, the things I heard cinched it.

"He hasn't called me this week… I hope he's okay…"

Guh.

"What am I saying? Of course he's okay… Nothing ever gets to him. That's why he's my idol! But I've got his phone number now… I was always wondering if he'd ever give it to me. But man, I must be the luckiest guy in the world…"

Someone shoot me now.

"It's like I'm handling a winning lottery ticket or something… this magical phone number… to his perfect house. And if I can just muster the courage to call him up… and hear his wonderful voice… it'll just be like me talking to him face-to-face, almost! I can do well with just imagining his sexy presence before me…!"

Don't hold back. Kill me dead!

"After all, he's _always_ calling Ruki… so why shouldn't he call me? She never picks up the friggin' phone anyway… but me, I LOVE the phone. The phone is my bitch! I wish Ryo would leave a message for _me_ someday… I could like, record it, and then I could hear his voice every time I wake up, and stuff like that. But geez, sometimes I don't think he notices me for **all** of my qualities yet… and more than anything else, I just wish he'd—"

"Oh, **FOR THE LOVE OF GOD.**"

My mouth clamped up immediately; I couldn't believe I let that _slip!_ My eyes were wide open, and indeed, Hirokazu Shiota was standing in place on that hazardous sidewalk, looking straight at me, who had to open my big yap. Renamon was also making with the silent staring, halfway out of being startled, and half awaiting my next sentence.

"… Ah, Ruki! Hey, I didn't see y—"

Immediately, I extended a hand forward towards Hirokazu to cut him off. Then I turned to Renamon, probably looking tenser than I should… "You go on ahead of me, okay?"

"You need to speak with him alone?"

"Just let mom and grandma know I'll be home eventually. When it comes to reprimanding 'Kazu, there's no telling how long it'll take to set him straight," I explained, and I don't think I could have been more right. Roosters like him needed extra attention just to comprehend simple matters; kind of like Special Ed.

Renamon didn't seem to agree with my methods… "Are you sure you don't want me to remain with you?"

"Know I'm looking out for your best interests here," I reminded her. "Do you really want to deal with him if you know you don't have to? Besides, if you want things done right, you do them yourself."

"I don't think I can argue with words as true as those," Renamon humbly admitted, holding her paws up in defeat. "But I trust you can take any situation into your own hands, Ruki. Good luck. I'll meet you at the house."

Almost in a flash, she had sped off further down the path. I gave a small exhale of frustration as I turned back to my idiot friend, who had stay put, and honestly, I don't think he even _noticed_ that he was walking amongst a dangerous construction site. Who knows where the construction workers were today, but I hadn't seen a single one actually around and doing work. Slackers.

But I knew if I wanted to get this doofus' attention, I'd have to insult him to his face. So being a good girl and looking both ways before crossing the road, I trekked over to the other side of the street, and slipped my way through the nasty machines and rubble in order to be within touching distance of Hirokazu. Hopefully, the emotion on my face looked anything but warm and greeting.

"Much better! 'Sup, Ruki?" Hirokazu informally greeted, dumb grin and all.

"Hi," I bitterly returned it, staring at him right in the eye. "I just couldn't help but realize that this isn't the route you usually go home by, 'Kazu. And it just seems a bit more suspicious to know this route goes right through my school, which is why **I** go this route." I pointed in the direction Hirokazu was previously walking from. "YOUR school is over in the freaking northeast, at least five miles from mine. You've got two seconds to tell me how this makes sense."

Much to my offense, Hirokazu shrugged the matter off. "Whoever said I was going home? I'm spending this day walking around. Takato's fine now, but way too depressing to hang around, I've not seen Jen, Juri's not in a good mood, and Kenta's home studying. I've got nothing to do! Besides, I didn't even know this was the way to your school!"

I could tell this argument wasn't going to get me anywhere. "But that's bull and you _know_ that! You were just AT my school less than a week ago!" I was near fuming just reminding myself of that day already… "Not that I doubt your lack of long-term memory, but I know you wouldn't forget a thing like that."

"Fine, fine," he grumbled, obviously caught there. "But I wasn't looking for you or anything. I just needed some time to think and all. To myself, you know?"

This brought out my 'Gag Me' face. "Has anyone ever told you how loud your thoughts are? Really, I could hear them just fine across the road, mister Secretive."

In turn, my remark seemed to draw out a blush from Hirokazu. Honestly, though, he's pretty amusing to see him look that stupidly smitten. "My feelings for Ryo deserve to be loud and heard by all! I mean, everyone should know his greatness!" He sighed happily. "And know how lucky I am… who knows, maybe he _will _voluntarily call me one day…"

I couldn't help but smirk. "Does this mean you've lost your interest in chasing me?" I asked, a bit hopefully. Deep inside, though… I was hoping so much more.

"Don't think you're off the hook yet," Hirokazu slyly told me. He pointed to me and winked… and then I felt desires to bite his winking head off. "I must say, Ruki, every time I see you in that school uniform, you just keep getting cuter to me. You'd better stop, or you'll become irresistible…"

"We **have** to wear these, you dolt!" I snapped, stepping back and trying desperately NOT to look seductive in the least to this moron. "If it were my choice, I'd reverse it! You guys act more like women than any girl I've ever known!"

I really, really wished that were the right thing to say. But it only made things worse, as Hirokazu made more 'wannabe cool' gestures like licking his teeth as he gave that some thought.

"Hm… you know, that sounds kind of _kinky_… and it could only come from a girl like you…"

"One more word, and I'm tossing you in the cement truck, Rooster." I pointed right to the one nearby to emphasize on that threat. Hirokazu followed my finger to the cement-making vehicle, and his eyes seemed to widen with awe. I do believe I was right.

He really _didn't_ notice the construction work at first.

Christ, did Ryo really take THAT much out of him?

"Ohh… hey, cool. Cement truck. I wonder what it's doing here."

I greatly struggled not to _rip my freaking hair out_… as I managed a short glare to Hirokazu, that alone letting him know of his idiocy.

"Oh, wait…" Hirokazu paused me from violently eating him alive as he made a very slow, gradual, full-circle turn to survey his newly discovered surroundings. "I… probably shouldn't have walked through here. Heheh."

"You wouldn't happen to be **blind**, would you?" I asked in a low growl. "Since you might as well be these days…"

"Come on!" Hirokazu urged, as if I'd _really_ give him a break. "Is it totally unacceptable to you for me to make a mistake now and then…?"

"When it risks your life? Yes."

"Yeah, I'm sure you REALLY care about whether or not I live or die," Hirokazu snapped back, striking a nerve with me. Did that blockhead really think I didn't care…? "Just mind your own business, 'kay?" He began to continue walking in the same direction as he was before. "I can take care of myself."

"FREEZE."

Oh boy, did he ever freeze.

"If I can care about Takato's life, I can just as easily care about yours, Hirokazu," I spat, walking right over to him, getting in his face. "So don't you dare try to make me out like this self-centered asshole who doesn't care about anyone! You won't get away with it!"

"And just who do you think you are, huh?" He demanded. "My mom? I don't need you and your nagging. It doesn't suit you either way."

Ugh. "Can you stay on the damn subject at **least**? We're not talking about me; we're talking about how you've got the mentality of a five year-old! Now use your common sense, whatever might _remain_ of it." Honestly, I wasn't sure why I was bothering going through with this… maybe it was because I was probably the only person other than Ryo that he might actually listen to. Of course, Hirokazu wasn't going to let that show, and he once again resumed walking along. I didn't hesitate to go on after him. "Hey!!"

"I don't need your lectures either!" 'Kazu exclaimed. "And I don't need your logic! Not when your love is as pure as the morning snow…!"

Oh my. He's really, really lost it now. "Please tell me you're not talking about Ryo."

"Who else? It's not like you're ready to admit our love yet," Hirokazu said with a retarded-looking smirk. "Though if you're meaning to confess to me today, I'm totally open for—"

"You're getting off-topic again," I interrupted, sharpening my glare. "I suggest you get out of here and do your 'wandering' elsewhere. Just not on this side of the street, and not on mine either."

Hirokazu didn't seem very happy with my offer. "Any idea of where I SHOULD go, then?"

"Home, preferably."

"I said I didn't need another nagging mom, Makino!"

"You wanted some feedback as to where you should go," I said with a shrug. "So I gave the most logical answer. Besides, I wouldn't wish for anyone to deal with your presence out in the open at any time."

"Oh, _good_ one, Ruki," Hirokazu remarked. Sarcastically, of course. It was almost kind of amazing seeing him so unfazed. I guess love really can change people though. I've just yet to see it for the better… "Naturally I'd figure you're not supportive of my true love for Ryo and all, but who could help being jealous of that? So I won't hold that against you…"

Good lord. Something was clearly wrong with his head. Ryo should be ashamed of himself for letting Hirokazu get this hysterical…! "You're the only one talking about your stupid love for Ryo, if you haven't noticed! Love him all you want, for all I care! I just don't want you _killing_ yourself over it! I'd like to think that's not unreasonable, 'Kazu!"

"You're overreacting," Hirokazu assumed. "Though it's sweet of you to let me know you care so much…" He looked me right in the eye and grinned. "Guess I can't help being loved by the masses, but please, believe in me a little! I'd have to be a really _big_ moron to die when all the obstacles are right in my fa—"

Yes, we were walking the whole time.

**YES**, that stupid ass fell down an open manhole.

Actually, shame on me for not noticing beforehand… and thank god I was away from Hirokazu enough not to fall in myself, but I'll admit, talking to him gets extremely frustrating. I just can't believe it sucked _all_ of my attention away like that…

No wonder they don't let people walk amongst this mess.

But this wasn't the time at all to review that. I immediately knelt down to the single hand grasping the edge, keeping Hirokazu within talking distance of me. It wasn't a stable hold; and already I noticed the veins in his hand twitching and bulged from the pressure and tension…

"Oh… oh CRAP!! Rukiiiiiii!!"

"I can hear you, okay?!" I shouted back, putting my hand over his to prove I was still there. "Just hang on!"

"You've gotta pull me up, man!" he wailed, as I felt his body flailing around in confusion. "It's dark and it smells down here!"

"It's a _sewer_, dumbass," I hissed through my teeth… I wished somehow he'd see the vicious share I shined to him. "Don't expect it to smell like the freaking Botanical Gardens. Now grab onto my hand. I'll pull you up from there."

"You're kidding, right?!" He practically screeched. "I can't let go; I'll fall for sure! You need to get my other hand…!"

"Does it **look** like I can reach down that far?" I inquired, stretching my arms over the manhole and setting my palms on the ground from there, so I could properly bend safely down into the hole and talk with Hirokazu more directly. Like I said, Roosters usually need special help. "Because you're crazy if you think I'm going to risk getting thrown down here too. This is your fault and yours alone, buddy."

"Fine, fine…! Just figure out something!" Hirokazu begged. For _mercy_. "Just please don't leave me here!"

"You don't need to worry about that," I assured. I mentally ran through my options… I _could_ call Renamon, but I already sent her off so she wouldn't have to deal with these fruitless ordeals. Plus I would kind of ruin my own resolve to 'take matters into my own hands' anyway. It'd do better for everyone just to keep this situation between us (providing Hirokazu doesn't blab… which he probably will). So I wasn't going to force Hirokazu to keep hanging on endlessly just to look for something to help; call me crazy, but a ton of rubble and crane machines which I can't operate didn't seem to be an option amongst the things I had to work with.

And of course, it just had to be the quietest part of the day where you can't drag any Bob off the street to help a poor kid out of a manhole since _no one's_ around. Not even so much as a passing car to intercept…! Lady Luck smiled upon us today, oh yes. … I guess there wasn't anything else to do. Just pull him up and hopefully succeed.

"Look," I said, resuming my position of sitting upright. "There's nothing here I can use to help us. There's no one around to give me a hand in pulling you out. You're going to have to trust me, Hirokazu, and let me take that hand," I poked said hand, as it further strained. "So I can pull you out myself."

"What makes you think you can lift me out?" Hirokazu asked, still nowhere near convinced of the situation. "What am I, like four inches taller than you? I'm also all-muscle!" Yeah, I can believe that. "So what if I'm too heavy for you…?"

Not something I could afford to worry about right now. "Believe me, you won't be."

I heard a scoff. "Not one girl at my school can even do so much as lift me from the ground for more than three seconds, Ruki! What makes you think that you're strong enough to—"

"DO YOU WANT ME TO SAVE YOU OR NOT, HIROKAZU?!"

Jesus-Tap-dancing-Christ!! Even when I'm trying to be _helpful,_ he can't even appreciate it in the LEAST! Does nothing please this boy, other than being in the presence of Ryo?! Guh…

"O-of course… I… I'm…"

"Sorry?" I finished for him. "You'd better be. Now just ease up." I grabbed Hirokazu from just below his wrist with one arm, and… with more difficulty than I expected, lifted his hand from the edge he was hanging onto (he was at least complying now, and didn't make a fuss when I did this), and safely put it over my free hand, where then I immediately grasped it.

I had a split second to remove my first hand from under Hirokazu's wrist and to the edge of the hole to keep _myself _from falling in with him; the second I had a full grip on 'Kazu, his entire body was indeed pulling me down like I just took hold of an anchor. Luckily, I made the time limit, and was now stuck to think what to do next in my precarious position. My body was gradually inching closer to being toppled over in a flip, right into that stupid manhole…

"God," Hirokazu cried to himself. "My hand is swelling so much… h-how's it going, Ruki…?"

This was it, really. I couldn't fail him. He'd never respect me after this if he _survived_… plus I'd never be able to live it down anyway. The main thing I had to focus on was keeping him calm, and let him believe that I know what I'm doing here… even if I'm not certain on that fact myself. He could easily screw this up as well as I could. And I **won't** forgive him if his stupid ass ends up dragging me down with him. "Just keep hanging on for me," I called back, further struggling to keep him from slipping through my fingers. "I'm gonna get you out of there…"

"Just know I can't hold on forever, okay…?" He informed, sounding increasingly more like a lost, unsure child.

"I know," I replied, not needing that reminder in the least. "So just work with me here, and don't question anything I tell you to do. Are we clear?"

"Crystal!"

"Just what I wanted to hear," I whispered to myself, kind of in relief. If I could just get him to comply with me enough… I could pull this off…

But the fierce compulsion of gravity was repeatedly forcing me the opposite way I was intending to go. I tried to my physical capacity to pull the other way, gradually making it so I was sitting upright again, my hand grasping to the side for support was now joining my hand clasped to Hirokazu's… It seemed to be going my way, now… just like I said. I knew I wasn't the average everyday 90-pound weakling. I could handle this…

The harder I pulled, the longer and louder Hirokazu felt the urge to whine, though, much to my displeasure and annoyance. It was bad enough having his entire body strain my own, but getting a migraine from his obnoxious vocal chords was just one more reason why I'd be better off deaf.

I was in a very precarious position now. One slip was going to send both of us through the hole and likely break our necks. It would probably be a lot simpler if Hirokazu had actually realized the dangers of this situation… but no. He had to make this as difficult as possible for me, with his never-ending screams and constant squirming around. Normally I'd tell him to cut it out, but it's pretty hard to multi task when you've got 110 pounds of _moron_ trying to pull you into a sewer…!

It was his feet. He kept swirling and kicking his feet down incessantly, and by doing so, Hirokazu was keeping himself pretty weighed down on his end. Every tug downwards was one centimeter closer to sending me over with the ignoramus… He was clearly too hysterical to listen, even if I _could_ spare the energy to tell him to stop. I wasn't going to get anywhere by continuing to pull him up by sitting on my butt. I'd have to risk my safety and now manage to _stand_ so I could pull Hirokazu the rest of the way up.

"HURRY UP, will you?!"

'Kazu giving **me** the orders? That effectively made my blood boil. But I'd use it to my advantage, and find the strength to pull myself up to my knees. In a sense, though, he was right. I wouldn't be able to maintain the grip forever; my body was wearing out and succumbing to the gravity fast. My whole body was practically shaking as I rose my arms to bring more of 'Kazu's arm out of the hole, past his elbow now. That was some progress… but then I heard a particular screech come out of Hirokazu's normal whining. I squinted to focus, but it became clear to me that I was hurting him now…

Not just by his hand, which was already throbbing and reddened. I noticed I'd been unintentionally pulling Hirokazu's arm straight against a sharp concrete edge… and it was already drawing minimal amounts of blood. There wasn't anything I'd be able to do to prevent it; one move forward and we'd _both_ be done for. It wouldn't be a serious injury, at least… I just know something like that would hurt like hell anyway. And with Hirokazu behaving so erratically to pain…

I winced as I felt a deep, scratching pain on my knees (_damn_ this school for making me wear a skirt!), probably similar to Hirokazu's arm situation… as the gravity suddenly became overwhelming and sent me on my stomach, my body halfway over the hole, and slowly sinking further…

"W… what happened?! Ruki, are you okay?!"

I struggled to open an eye as I realized half my body was practically in the sewer, and the smell was so _unbearable_… just like Hirokazu said. In fact, I was practically face-to-face with him… and for once, he actually looked concerned… the stinging pain in my knees told me to focus on more serious issues right now…

One being that I'm hanging on my stomach in this manhole, with no way to lift myself back to where I was again without letting Hirokazu go. And I already promised myself I wouldn't do that…

Desperate times. I had to call Renamon _now_…

"Why won't you answer me?!" I heard Hirokazu's desperate cry again, suddenly trying to tug me as if to snap me back into reality. While that's a nice gesture, and all…

**THAT'S NOT WHAT YOU DO TO SOMEONE HANGING UPSIDE DOWN.**

Unfortunately, this would have to register in Hirokazu's head the hard way. I felt my legs flop into the hole… and down we both went.

It all happened in a split second, but I know Hirokazu fell onto the pavement of the sewer floor. I came right after, landing cleanly over his body, which thankfully broke my fall…

I heard Hirokazu squeak, though. Apparently he landed right on his rear end (which took most of the impact)… meaning I ended up landing roughly on his groin. Whoops.

That kind of impact made Hirokazu even jolt into a sitting position, despite his mildly aching back. Meanwhile, I, finding no comfort in being against _any_ part of 'Kazu's body, quickly rolled off him… and of COURSE he had to be right on the edge of the pavement… making me roll right into a disgusting river of yuck-water. That also made me jolt up, adding increasing discomfort to my weary body, stressed-out nerves and scratched up knees.

While Hirokazu finished up his moans of pain, I struggled to climb back onto the paved platform, far too stunned by this whole scene to even bother picking off any garbage on me. 'Kazu seemed pretty hurt, with his legs sprawled uselessly on the ground, and the rest of him twitching in sync by limb. He was sitting up, however, with his scraped arm tending to his back, which was arched up high. I was certain the worst pain was yet to come; I just hoped he didn't break anything.

At least we both survived the ordeal… of course, there was a ladder leading right up to the hole we fell out of, so we'd be out of here in no time. Providing we weren't too thrashed beyond helping ourselves…

"… You okay…?"

I blinked. It was startling that Hirokazu got to this question before I did… "I-I'm fine."

It was dark in the sewer… so he had to squint to make sure he could clearly see me. "Are you sure?" He practically forced himself to say without whimpering. That idiot… I think it'd be obvious to _anybody_ that he's the injured one. Why would he bother hiding the fact to me?

"You broke my fall," I credited, as I wrung out my ponytail. "And these scrapes," I indicated my knees. "They're no big deal. I'll be fine. But you landed before me, so I want to know your story."

Once more, Hirokazu scoffed. "It wasn't **that** long of a fall." He made sure to not mess with his back anymore. "It barely even hurt me. I'm invincible, you know."

Gloating I did _not_ have any more patience for. "I'm leaving your ass behind, then. I've had enough of your fawning about Ryo and wasting _my_ time and making me smell like the population of Japan's feces." I stood up, kicked the washed-up box off my shoe, and marched past him, though with a little difficulty. "I'm sick and tired of **trying** to be nice to your worthless self, when all I do is get _screwed over_ like this! You're not even grateful that I tried to save you! And it was **your** damn fault why we fell down here anyway…!"

'Kazu winced. "Ruki, I…"

"You had your chance to apologize," I cut in, staggering and half-slipping my way over to the ladder. "I've already accepted several of them, _just_ today. But you're clearly never going to get it. You're never going to look at me other than some piece of ass you're setting your eyes on in case things with you and Ryo don't go through! And I'm not taking it anymore, Hirokazu! Okay?! I'm not that kind of girl, never have been, and _never will be_, especially not for your sake! So give it up and go stalk somebody else for once!"

What I really hated more than anything is how I never seem to notice how cold and brutal my vocabulary is until I've already said it and done the damage. Even if I _still _believed this all to be true, this wasn't the best thing to say to someone who was now practically crying in agony to stand up and stop me. It was dark and dank enough as such to where it was a little complicated to get around.

But Hirokazu was trying to do this with his legs wide apart, like a duck, while his back wouldn't even allow him to align his body right. He was freaking waddling, with his head and back able to face nothing but his own feet. And still **somehow**, he was able to get to me without killing himself.

"You're… you're not like that to me!" He huffed out, trying to persevere the pain. "I've known you too long for that, okay…? M-maybe I just joke around too much, b-but I really admire you, and… and that's not common for me outside of Ryo, y'know…? I'm never acting right around you… but you d-do mean a lot to me, Ruki!"

Uh huh?

"A-and the last thing I need is you worrying about me," he continued. "I get into these accidents all the time…"

How very Rooster of him.

"But I know you can't be okay, and I know you went into that nasty water… so I'll make it better! Whatever's necessary!" Hirokazu was now running out of breath. "I… I just don't want you all… all like…"

I managed to mutter his name to myself as I watched him plunk back to the ground on his butt. … That lasted for about two seconds, as Hirokazu shrieked like nothing **I'd** ever heard before, and proceeded to roll onto his stomach and spasm all over the ground, now sobbing about the alleged pain on his natural seat cushion.

Well, he _did _land flat on his ass. But it was obvious Hirokazu was too hysterical to help himself get up a ladder, so I moved away and knelt down next to him, gently grasping him, and eventually calming him down.

"So, you've hurt yourself," I stated, just for the sake of hearing my voice, I guess. "You probably should wait a while before trying to stand again, then. At least until your back isn't so stiffened…"

"I don't get it," Hirokazu growled to himself. "H-how the hell can it be _this_ serious…?"

"If you just give yourself a rest for a few minutes, it might not actually turn out to be so bad," I suggested, hoping my rare burst of optimism was enough to have him obey me at least this once… I scanned over his entire back area, lightly feeling and pressing various areas of his body, asking him what hurt and what didn't. It turned out his back didn't seem fractured… but then came his butt.

I was not enthusiastic for the prospect of touching the Rooster's ass.

Luckily, I've been in a similar situation before when I was younger. And if it was indeed the same injury…

With great hesitance, I gently pressed my thumb to Hirokazu's tail bone. It's still technically touching his ass, dammit, and it almost makes me regret being a friend. But nonetheless, the contact drew another extremely loud groan of pain from 'Kazu, proving my theory that he's either fractured his tail bone upon landing, or at least considerably hurt it to some extent.

To my amazement, Hirokazu wasn't adding insult to my mental injury on touching his ass. In fact, he looked a bit scared and turned his head back a bit to look at me.

"W… what in god's name are you doing, Ruki…?"

Still, I rolled my eyes. "Checking to see where all your pain is coming from. You landed on your tail bone, 'Kazu."

"… What the hell is a tail bone…?"

Okay. Honestly, I was surprised he didn't know this. I figured he would've already broken this at some other point in his reckless life. "Tail bone. Like if you were a cat or some animal that had a tail, THIS bone," I pressed it softly again, for emphasis. Not because I wanted to… "Would start off the other bones making the tail. But since humans don't grow tails, it's just the bone we sit on. Don't ask me something dumb like 'Why the hell is it CALLED a **tail **bone then if we don't have tails?' either. I'm no doctor, but I've had a bike accident with this result before."

"What if I can never sit down again…?" Hirokazu whined. "It really hurt to do that at first…"

"Don't count on doing it for a day or so," I said as casually as I could. "A seat ring won't help you much by this point, either. But I'd like to think this is what you get for walking around in a construction site." I moved to the front of Hirokazu and extended my right hand to him. "So let's move past this dumb mistake and just get back home, okay? Before anything else happens…"

He took my hand, managed to stand, and could even do so straightly, though apparently his back was still in a bit of pain. While he was preparing himself for the climb back to ground level, I tried to wring out my uniform, which would surely be a chore for my mom to clean. The smell, though… that was worse than anything. I was definitely ready to leave.

"CRAP!!"

Dear god no. "What _now_, Shiota?"

"_Damn_," he cursed, but sounding much more frightened than angry. Fumbling through his pockets, under his shirt, in his pants… the thing he wanted wasn't coming up, though. "How could I lose something like that?!"

I quickly scanned the ground. Hirokazu never touched the water, so I didn't see any point in worrying yet. "I don't think you dropped anything. What're you looking for?"

"Ah!" came the relieved voice of discovery. Hirokazu pulled out a rather short and thin slip of paper from… I think this_ underwear_… good lord… "I was getting really worried—"

Silence.

"… There…"

The paper had a bit of an uneven tear running across its bottom.

Couldn't help but blink at this new situation arising, bounding to be as dumb as the last. "What is that, Hirokazu?"

"I-it's my… my…" Hirokazu stammered. His pupils dilated, nervously shaking, and if I could tell so in the dark, I'd say he probably paled a bit too. "My paper… the paper Ryo gave me… with his personal cell phone number… **the** only number where you're totally guaranteed to reach him any time of the daaaay…"

Yup. The only thing on that paper was the area code. "It's not the end of the world. You can ask him for it again later, okay?"

"HE PERSONALLY GAVE IT TO ME," Hirokazu bellowed, heaving deeply. "**GENUINE** RYO PAPER, RUKI. HIS OWN HANDWRITING."

Okay, now he was_ scaring_ me…

"And this is important because…?"

"It has at least one of every digit!" Hirokazu cried out, like I was crazy to not know or something. "It would've been a perfect addition to my collection of Ryo handwriting! I was just a few symbols away from sending it all in to and making my own freaking _font_ out of Ryo's handwriting!!"

Was he freaking serious? I should've just left him to die…

"… plus, I suppose, there's that great bonus of getting to call Ryo whenever I want and talk to him…!"

"Why can't you ask him for another copy…?" I asked, getting impatient, like **fast**.

"Because not all of us are that thoughtless and rude around Ryo like you are!" Hirokazu stupidly blurted out. "Proper etiquette states that one MUST behave his or her best around Ryo Akiyama and give the utmost respect around him, his belongings, his friends and family, and even what little things he gives to you!"

"You _are_ blind," I snapped back. "It's SCRAP notebook paper in pencil scribble! No one's going to miss that, 'Kazu!"

"**I** do!" Hirokazu cried out, being oh-so melodramatic. "I miss it, and I'm not leaving without the rest of that number! If it's not here on the ground, it must've somehow gotten into water…!"

"You're a dumbass," I remarked, though it was all right as rain. "I'm the only one who was ever in that horrible, diseased water. I know I don't have it, so what makes you think that—"

Hirokazu's turn to interrupt, apparently. "You still landed on me. You might've disrupted the paper in my secret hiding place and accidentally torn it when we collided. I know that's reaching a little, but if it's nowhere else…"

"I'm not going back in there, if that's what you're insinuating," I warned. "You're too injured, so you're not setting a foot inside there either."

"I've told you twice already, Ruki," Hirokazu tried to scold as he waddled past me. "I don't need a nagging mom telling me what to do and what's good for me…"

"What the hell?! Yes you **do**!" Just who did he think he was? I was determined to get him off his high horse some way or another… "When you can't pay attention to what you're doing enough to avoid a _construction site_… when you get so distracted that you can't avoid falling in an open _manhole_ right under your nose… do I need to continue?!"

"Yes," Hirokazu nodded. "I'm not following."

Ooh, that was it. I grabbed him by the collar of his shirt. "YOU are irresponsible. YOU are immature. YOU couldn't properly prioritize your actions if your life DEPENDED on it, and YOU'RE stupid enough to let your inane little fantasies take precedence over your entire **life**." I could honestly not make that any clearer for him. "You _needed _Kenta around so he could make sure you didn't kill yourself. Juri, Takato… they've all had to constantly watch your ass so you don't get yourself blown into _bits!_ Now that you're distancing yourself from the others in favor of pursuing Ryo, you're losing what little mental coherency you possess, and one day it's going to **kill you, Hirokazu Shiota**. I'm NOT going to sit around and watch that happen to you when I can make a difference…! No friend would just stand by and watch you self-destruct, and I won't let that happen!"

It felt weird to finally get that off my chest… when it should've been relieving. Well, it was in a sense, but… I suddenly felt an odd sensation build up in my chest… not that I had ever blatantly shouted out my declaration of friendship to anyone other than Juri, but…

I just really wanted to hug him, or something. I wanted to make Hirokazu **see** the error of his ways, and I'm only doing this because I want what's best for him…

He's such a numskull that he'll probably never notice until it's too late… but I couldn't let 'Kazu resign himself to that fate already!

But at least what I said was enough to stun Hirokazu into a dead silence for a while, as I tried to figure out why I was feeling so emotionally fuelled by this moment. I should've been freezing down in this sewer during November, but I felt as if I were on fire. My heart was practically pounding through my body and my eyes just wanted to illuminate through the murkiness of our surroundings…

"R-Ruki…"

"Don't try to tell me off!" I barked at him, though uneasily… it wasn't so casual to just be nasty to him now… "I'm not leaving until I see you coming with me! I'm not setting a foot out of here until I see you climb that ladder before I do. OKAY?!" And then, I softened. "I just don't want you hurting yourself down here… it's bad enough you can barely walk; if it gets to where I can't help you down here, I'll never forgive myself…"

I really hoped this burst of caringness wasn't setting me up for future blackmail…

But Hirokazu didn't seem to be ready with taking notes, tape recording, or snapping Polaroids of his scene. He seemed almost completely mesmerized with how I was looking at him right now… perhaps I was reaching him…

"I… I'm not afraid of dying, Ruki," He told me quietly. "It doesn't scare me at all. T-to me, it's just… you know, what happens, happens. Ryo means so much to me, Ruki… I'm willing to put anything on the line for him, because I really do believe I love him." His gaze suddenly averted from me. "I love living my life the way I want… but… my life is about my friends, too… I didn't think you ever really thought of me as your_ friend_…"

"Maybe not at first," I said, shaking my head. "But now… I can see you in a different light. Okay…? Or do you still not trust me?"

I felt a lump in my throat as Hirokazu turned away from me completely, knelt down on his knees, and bended towards the water, letting his hands aimlessly dig around in whatever was in there (like I wanted to know…). I had a hard time getting a full look of his face during that, but I caught a glimpse of what was probably the only truly serious gesture I've ever seen on his face.

I had finally gotten to the real Him…

Hirokazu wiped away a few stray tears with his sleeve when he pulled away, revealing very dirtied arms with nothing more in their hands.

My look was stern. "First thing when we get home, we'll call Ryo. I'll ask him to give you another paper with his phone number on it."

'Kazu seemed almost appalled at the suggestion. "Ruki, you don't need to do all tha—"

Interrupting's fun. "I'm doing it because I want to. Friends are apart of my life too, Hirokazu, in case you didn't notice. And when I'm able to help, I want them to be happy and satisfied. Especially if they have to go through an ordeal like this." Just to let him know I wasn't lying, I gave him a small smile.

You know that weird sensation? It's still going on, stronger than ever…

"W-what if he's not home? As busy as Ryo is, it might take all night just to grab him at a free minute… that's what that personal number's for… and I LOST it…"

I had homework to do all night…

… And all of a sudden, I didn't care… "You'll give up before you even try? If you're not afraid to die, Hirokazu, you shouldn't be afraid of anything at all. We'll call for him all night if we have to."

That brought Hirokazu standing up and almost smiling himself. He gave one last look back to the water and the swift current rushing in it. With a small shrug, he attempted to laugh. "I probably never would've found that thing anyway. It'd be long gone by now… and I'd be looking all night…heh…"

I smirked. "See, it doesn't hurt to be logical about these things. Now come on." I led him over to the ladder, and humbly let him begin the climbing before me. I had sealed the deal, earned his trust… was I finally doing this gushy friendship stuff all by myself?

I could actually _get along_ with people in earnest outside of Juri…?

As we made our way up the ladder, Hirokazu kept periodically looking down at me. I gave him odd gestures, but didn't ask about it. For once, I wasn't worried about his motives and was just glad to be mutual with him over _something_… the homework could wait. I've had all these friends for almost three years, and for most of those years I haven't really appreciated them.

I finally knew what I was missing out on…

Being a friend... and being honest about it.

"Uh, Ruki…?"

"Hm?"

"You've got a little something, er…"

"What? Is it feces again?"

"No, um… it's a little weird, and kind of bluish, and on your shirt but kinda glowing through it so it might be on your skin, so…"

"What're you talking about…?"

He stopped climbing and peered right down at me, but obviously not looking at my face. "You're glowing. Somewhere near your boobs."

…………………………………

**SMACK!!**

"**QUIT LOOKING DOWN MY SHIRT!!**"

"GAAAAAAH!!! DON'T HURT ME!!"

* * *

( TBC ) 


	10. Headaches and Heartbreak

**(Notes:**

**So! It's only been... almost four years since the last real update. I guess that's better than never updating again? But I love the story far too much to just let it die, I guess! Being able to re-watch the series via Toon Disney during a pretty miserable summer is what sparked my renewed interest, though it wasn't until last month that I could even touch the progress of this chapter. Once I finally got the ball rolling in continuing it, I realized it was this month that I actually started BMD! The 24th, to be exact. So on the 5th anniversary of this story, I give it a much needed update! While I waited to continue this chapter, over the summer I looked over my older chapters and gave them a bit of a revamp, so it might be worth a look-through if you've read them already beforehand. When you're 21 years old like me, looking at stuff you wrote when you were 16... you kind of get that urge to fix it, you know? **

**I had lost touch with the story before and forgot exactly all what I wanted to do, then the fandom faded from my life. Not only is it renewed (I guess Savers premiering Stateside helps too), I remember exactly what I wanted to accomplish with this story!**

**That said, what to expect from this one? Well, I'm probably an asshole, updating after 4 years with a chapter that ends in a cliffhanger... Chapter 10 is best to be thought of as a Side B to Chapter 9. That means part of this chapter actually takes place before the end of 9 (roughly the first half); this is the school day Hirokazu vaguely described to Ruki before they went on their sewer adventure (hence, before Hirokazu bumps his tailbone). The later half is composed of events that occur _while_ Hirokazu and Ruki are in the sewers. It's a little bit confusing... admittedly, I didn't think through it that well when I wrote Chapter 9. Anyway, Chapter 11 should have things back in chronological order, whenever that comes out. Hope this was worth the agonizing wait...!**

**Also, I'd like to note that with the completion of this chapter, By My Decision has officially become the longest story I've ever written! While the gap between second place will surely grow with future updates, currently it now only narrowly passes Brotherly Love, which was my first South Park fanfic... which no longer exists on this site because it was in script format. But still, six digits! Pretty monstrous... here's hoping for seven by the end! )**

* * *

( POV - Takato )

* * *

So... I've had some time to think over the little realization that came over me last night.

I guess nothing changed… I still felt the same way I always did. And since I was certain I was in love with Juri when I felt this way for her…

… It couldn't be different for Jenrya. Not because he's a boy or anything, no. For whatever reason, the same-gender thing wasn't fazing me very much.

School hadn't started yet. Like I planned, I came a bit earlier than usual this morning… most of my friends come early anyway, and Jen's one of those people. Juri as well… finding either of them would satisfy me well enough, but I absolutely had to find Jen before the day was over. I really have about one class with him, and that's closer to the end of the day…

I'd probably have better chances at lunch, though.

But it wasn't the time to worry about the future; I had some time to talk to him now, so I intended to make use of it. Unfortunately, when I poked my head into his first period classroom, I found nobody inside. Save for a drowsy teacher sipping her mug of coffee, but there wasn't a Jenrya to be found.

Kenta was the only one who had a class with him this period… and I already passed by our normal meeting area by the lockers; he hadn't arrived yet.

It was a little weird… unless there was some big conversation to be had amongst the group, Jenrya almost always stayed inside the classroom before school officially started. And since none of my other friends were here, it would mean that _Jen's_ late being early for once, or that he's wandering somewhere else in the school; the latter was definitely more unlikely.

Still, I felt a little uncomfortable stalling at the front door of this classroom, just waiting for him to pass by. It might make me too obvious… and being obvious is the last thing I wanted to seem like around Jenrya. All I wanted was just a simple, innocent talk with him before the bell sounded off. I hadn't seen or heard from him since the festival… after realizing how I really felt about him, that empty feeling building inside me was now making me sick…

Even a simple "Hi" would make me feel a little better…

I just knew something was going on. Jenrya would never do this to me for no reason… if he doesn't want to talk to me, who **would** he talk to? Terriermon? Even he hasn't been able to tell us much.

I guess I could deal with it if he didn't like me back… besides, half the time I'm convinced Juri doesn't return my feelings for her; this is really nothing new… except for the fact that I've got the same feeling for two people going on at once and they're not really fighting and making me decide who I liked more.

I just felt like I loved both of them _equally_.

It wasn't right. I **knew** it wasn't right. I just had no idea what I was going to _do_ about it... it's not like I can just magically make myself not be in love with either of them.

Solutions weren't coming to me at all, though… maybe I did need some help. Not that I'd have the guts to confront Jen or Juri about it, or even ask them what I would do in the hypothetical sense… it would have to be someone else. Preferably someone who's had experience in something like this.

I'd worry about that later, though.

I just found Jen. …. He was roaming the halls. It's just been a week, and already I'm incorrectly predicting his own actions… being his best friend, it's a telling sign when everything goes wrong right off the bat.

* * *

( POV – Nobody )

* * *

In that moment, Jenrya's walking significantly slowed. He secretly wanted to flee. His eyes were widened at the acknowledgment of his best friend's presence. The best friend he voluntarily refused to see since the festival. At this point, Jenrya could only wonder _'Why?'_ Why he was being so cold lately to everyone… more importantly, why he was even **listening** to what his anonymous messenger was telling him to do? 

Simply put, Jenrya was afraid. He was scared to death over what might happen if he didn't do things the way this quasi-person requested. Honestly, he hated being controlled by something that hid its face the entire time, but Jenrya simply wasn't going to do anything stupid ala Hirokazu.

He knew this creature had power. And until he could bring himself to tell everyone about his situation (that alone risked testing his stalker's patience), Jenrya felt he had to deal with his problem on his own, and not involve anyone else on the matter. After all, he was already beating himself up over Juri's part in the first meeting… since Jenrya was completely convinced it was really him who the creature wanted. Somehow, obviously, Juri became a pawn for the bigger game to come… And Jenrya couldn't stand that. He was aware of the mental turmoil that had plagued Juri since her childhood back when the D-Reaper was causing madness and destruction. The thought of her being trapped in the slimy captivities of this new foe's dimension, just like he was… Jenrya would never forgive himself if Juri went through something like this again.

Jenrya himself wasn't looking forward to going back anytime soon. However, even before the figure left, he already promised another visit with him that would soon come. If he weren't a blobbish form of smoke, Jenrya wouldn't have hesitated to personally dismantle him, piece by piece. It was against Jenrya's natural routine of handling such things, but all Jenrya wanted was to nip this problem in the bud.

He did **not** want this to spawn and mutate into another world-threatening situation.

Sadly, though, Jenrya learned the hard way that he would have to be sneakier in order to overcome his enemy. His raw anger and violent tendencies towards the figure only backfired on him.

And most importantly, though this mysterious force had promised another visit with Jenrya soon in coming, since the incident in his bedroom, Jenrya had not heard or seen that peculiar body or the patronizing voice since that meeting.

Not that it's been an extremely long period of time, but the fact that he wasn't here to bother him yet concerned Jenrya, and now he was constantly paranoid that his little uninvited guest would pop in for an unexpected moment and take him back to where he so dreaded.

Then, back to Takato… Takato, who was so eagerly (and seemingly nervous) standing behind Jenrya, his shivering hands grasping each other as Takato lifted them up to his chest. Not that Jenrya could tell, for he wasn't yet looking at him.

The main reason for Jenrya's fear at this very moment were the words his gut instinct practically screamed out to him the last time he attempted physical and social contact with his best friend.

_**"DON'T LOOK AT HIM." **_

_**"DON'T GO NEAR HIM." **_

_**"DON'T TALK TO HIM." **_

_**"DON'T TOUCH HIM."**_

Right now, Jenrya was not doing any of those things, as he stood, facing away from Takato. No part of his body was touching his friend's, and he certainly wasn't talking to him yet…

But did he break the "go near" rule?

After all, it wasn't Jenrya who initiated this meeting. In fact, the whole reason he was wandering the halls of his school, something he's rarely been known to do, was to avoid having to be encountered by Takato just before school. He knew by now that Takato was probably upset with his blatant lack of presence during his friend's time of need. Not that it was unreasonable, but Jenrya felt like he had bigger things to worry about now. Especially since Takato was clearly healthy again… this was more than what could be said for Jenrya himself.

He was a mess. Even with his resolve to sleep through his enemy's ranting tirade, he still could never really, fully be able to sleep. After all, the slime on his bed alone was a good source for nightmares to keep him mentally awake.

Remembering that almost tempted Jenrya to just spite his own instinct and be with Takato anyway. Jenrya suffered many lonely nights by choosing not to see him. He couldn't even bring himself to tell Terriermon why… all of Terriermon's relentless prodding in the world couldn't break open Jenrya's secretive shell. And despite how much Jenrya _wanted_ to be alone, he still secretly wanted to see Takato… Takato always seemed to be the exception of Jenrya's unwilling daily social duties. He was just… special.

Luckily for Jenrya, his gut instinct still allowed him to **think** about Takato…

"Jen…!"

Came the inevitable dreaded voice. Jenrya could only bear to look at Takato from the corner of his eye; hopefully that didn't count as _really_ looking at him. But then there was another problem… responding to the call.

"Ah… I d-didn't expect to find you here," Takato stuttered, "S'not often that you're just walking around the building for the heck of it, right…?"

This encounter would get ugly if Jenrya didn't do something, fast. Without further thinking, he turned himself around so his body was facing Takato. His face, however… more importantly his eyes, were blatantly strayed away from his best friend. Not that there was anything remotely of interest to look at aside from lockers in this section of the school.

Takato immediately realized something wasn't right with him. Jenrya's behavior… his hesitance to face him, the fact that he seemed to be prolonging his right to be silent as much as he could… it was an odd way for him to act, especially around his own best friend, the only human being Jenrya ever felt completely comfortable talking to.

"Mm."

That was it. That was the only response Jenrya would give him. Something he didn't even need to open his mouth for… this only made Takato's fears more of a reality; Jenrya had a problem, and it involved him. He certainly acted like he knew something that Takato didn't… and worst of all, it definitely seemed probable that Jenrya knew of Takato's own secret. Takato stayed true to his original intention, however; he tried to remain innocent and casual about this failing conversation.

"So… you're feeling better too…? I'm glad we're both healthy again," Takato said. "I got all my homework caught up from the days I missed… how about you?" He did everything in his power to avoid talking about the festival, and more so why Jenrya refused to visit him.

Jenrya's eyes were still averted from Takato. He gave a quieter "Mm" acknowledgment this time, along with a slight nodding motion. This was, in fact, a lie. Jenrya had outright neglected much of the homework he missed, mostly because of his mental turmoil over the festival, and now recently this new enemy.

A great sting of emptiness struck Jenrya's body in that instant. At that point, he knew this wasn't right anymore. He simply couldn't bear being this distant to Takato. It was already painful enough having to act like this to Terriermon, but Takato… the only close human acquaintance he ever had (that wasn't a blood relative) … Why was he letting this relationship be strained by some shadow person who, though he happens to know almost everything on Jenrya, is still a complete stranger? More importantly, why was his gut instinct telling him to avoid his best friend, who Jenrya essentially relied on to get through many daily occurrences in life? Even his own intuition was siding with the mysterious stranger…

Jenrya was fighting it, but his logic seemingly wanted to turn the other way. And in a rare turn of events, Jenrya started believe that he should perhaps rely on his heart more than his head. Though nervous and uncomfortable, his heart, at least, still yearned for some much-needed catching up with Takato. That was all Jenrya needed.

Takato, meanwhile, felt a little alienated with his quiet friend. His innocent approach didn't seem to be working the magic he thought it would… now it was more tempting to just cut the chitchat and get to the bottom of this problem. Jen was becoming more and more like _Ruki_ by the second… and Takato found his frightening. Especially considering that Ruki and Jenrya are already polar opposites…

"I see," Takato finally replied, looking right into Jenrya's eyes and noticing how he wasn't returning the favor. "I… see that I'm bothering you, then…"

"No…!"

Takato was frozen. He was close to turning _his_ back on Jenrya and heading off, but hearing him actually say a word convinced him to stay put. As Takato looked back to Jenrya, he still saw the troubled expression on his face… "J-Jen…"

"You're not bothering me," Jenrya said, straining himself to utter those few words out. Whatever internal pain he was experiencing just increased a hundred-fold. "I-I… I'm sorry."

Takato's head leaned a little to the side… honestly, his best friend's behavior was bewildering. It left Takato himself a lack of ideas on what to say to him next… if he would respond or not… In fact, when he reflected on it, it never did seem to be easy to talk to Jenrya if something was wrong with him. Half the time, Jenrya seemed to either ignore or deny it completely… but after this festival, and what happened, it might be too serious for Takato to just let it slide.

He was almost certain Jenrya had a problem with him, and he was just too afraid to come out and say it. Of course, he could understand why… being Jenrya's only close friend, Takato imagined it wouldn't be easy having a beef with your only close friend, who was the tie to all of your other friends.

It was imperative for Jenrya to still maintain some form of social contact with his teammates; Takato was aware of this. So no matter how much Jenrya's behavior was asking for a cold shoulder, Takato would promise to not let himself get angry at him. At least it was obvious that Jenrya was uncomfortable with acting this way… perhaps that meant that he really _did_ want to talk? But what was holding him back… Takato wondered how he'd get that out of his quiet friend.

"Y-you seem a little depressed," Takato muttered, still trying to get some form of eye contact with Jenrya. The eyes were still looking elsewhere. "Mind telling me what's the matter…?"

"Depressed...? Well, that's nothing out of the ordinary for me. It's nothing; I promise."

Jenrya's own eyes widened when he realized that might've not been the right thing to say. He didn't _mean_ to say something that might draw more attention to him, saying something so ridiculous as if he'd always been depressed…

"Jen…" Takato sounded rather hurt. "Being depressed always means something is wrong. I… I know things must've been hard for you lately… so let me help you out, okay?"

Before he could give Takato a response, Jenrya's world suddenly came to a halt. Familiar feelings began to re-emerge as Jenrya witnessed his surroundings stopping with the time. Just to make sure of what was happening, Jenrya forced himself to look right at Takato, to find that he too seemed frozen and unaware of what was going on.

It was just like last time.

Jenrya's spine tingled as he watched a familiar black and oily ooze erupt from the floor and the ceiling. Slick trails of the slime lined the lockers, coated the floor, and were making a beeline for its target: Jenrya himself. And a little voice right in the back of his head practically screamed at him for making this happen. His logic was infuriated at this blatant disregard for common sense. Was it not _obvious_ that something like this might happen if he didn't listen to his gut instinct?

Again, logic told Jenrya to run to the nearest slime-free area. And yet, Jenrya seemed too paralyzed in fear to move a muscle. Sweat and labored breathing returned to his bodily functions as he nervously looked at his surroundings from every corner of his eye… soon showing him that he was surrounded. The school itself seemed to fade away into the darkness radiated by the slime… Jenrya was further upset to find Takato slowly but surely fading away from him. Thankfully, the slime was passing through without so much as grazing any part of Takato's body…

So now he had inadvertently dragged his entire situation all the way to his school. Jenrya wondered how this was affecting the other students… and more importantly Takato, as he was quickly fading into nothingness. Before completely disappearing, Jenrya extended a hand out to his friend, therefore defying his own instinct for the fourth time. But just before Jenrya could feel the Takato's skin against his fingertips, Takato himself disappeared, leaving Jenrya completely alone.

In a way it delighted Jenrya to know Takato was spared from this world, unlike Juri from the previous time. Yet it also brought a great deal of depression in his heart to deal with the fact that, yes, he was not going to be able to talk to Takato until this ordeal was over; until he could face what had happened to them at the festival. Whatever that was… the way Jenrya's company talked, he wasn't even sure if he'd be able to talk to Takato _after_ the fact. He desired it like nothing else, but he was still afraid. He was horrified at what he was being forced to learn.

Jenrya knew it had to have been something serious. By now, nothing petty could stand a chance at breaking apart the solid friendship he had with Takato.

With all that in mind, Jenrya, frustrated beyond his limit already this morning, wiped the forming tears in his eyes and prepared for the inevitable. In a giant, forceful wave, Jenrya was easily consumed by the darkness.

This was clearly something he would have to get used to.

* * *

( POV – Takato )

* * *

"Jen?"

_Now_ what? It was one thing for him to pretend to ignore me, but right at this moment… something didn't seem right. I wasn't sure why, but right after I expressed my desires to help Jenrya through whatever problem he had, goosebumps quickly popped in on me for a moment. Naturally, I shivered on impulse, but the next time I got a glance at Jen…

He was different.

His eyes were devoid of pupils, now just looking like dull, lifeless gray circles. The uncomfortable expressions on his face had disappeared… they had faded into nothing. Nothing at all… Jen didn't look like he was feeling anything.

In fact, now he didn't look bothered as his eyes were finally staring right at me… and ironically, that was the one moment where _I_ didn't want to look at him. …It was creepy, you know? Now Jenrya was dead silent. Had his eyes not been wide open, he could've easily been asleep. But something inside me did _not_ like the way Jenrya was looking at all… and it really had me worried. I didn't feel comfortable speaking up to him again… but if I didn't do something, who would? Who else could get through to him? Apparently I'm the only one who hasn't tried…

But like everything else terrible, despite how unnerving Jen was visually, I just couldn't stop staring at him… I wasn't sure if it was just my curiosity, my desire to get through to him… or, well…. It was probably the fact that I've got a crush on him. More than likely… of course…

Slowly, I put my right hand over my heart. It… was starting to feel a little agitated again… but why? Why _now? _I finally had Jenrya where I wanted… I was finally talking to him (well, just barely… it's better than nothing at all, right?). The last thing I needed was **another** delay. It wasn't an overwhelming burst of pain like last time, at least… and this was no time to focus on myself and my problems! Mine must be minuscule compared to whatever Jen's going through… if they're so bad that he won't tell _me_… or his own family… or even Terriermon.

It just… hurt me. It hurt seeing him looking at me with those lifeless eyes. It made it look like he didn't care what was going on… what was happening to him, or even me. I found myself leaning against the nearest locker for support, as it was becoming increasingly difficult to stand on my own now. Jen's position and expression still stayed the same…

… Normally… Jen would freak out by now. He'd definitely go out of his way to be my human crutch until we got to a nurse's office or something. Since we've met, Jenrya has made it his personal habit to dote on me whenever he sees fit. Between me and Terriermon, it's a wonder why he only barely snapped under the pressure. In some cases he'll freak out more than others, but not once has he ever just stood still, acting like I wasn't even there.

… So who was this guy, and what did he do with Jen?

Maybe I was jumping to conclusions. After all, I had to remember something: he may very well know about me already. I know I'm pretty obvious about who I like and don't like, and it didn't take Jen long at all to notice my feelings for Juri. The feelings for Juri which still existed along with my feelings for Jen… I wonder if Juri would have anything to say about this…?

My heart nearly burst from my chest as I felt myself jolt up when I saw that Jenrya was making a movement. … He was… _leaving_?!

It was a very slow movement, but Jenrya slowly made an about-face and started walking away from me… until I couldn't see it anymore, his expressionless face still remained the same. It was like he was a robot or something… that's how he was acting. Still as quiet as ever, he made agonizingly slow steps away from me… and then I just realized he was walking the wrong way.

He'd have to pass by me to get to his class… instead, he was going the other way… towards the stairs that would eventually lead him _out_ of school… but surely he wasn't… right?

I shoved myself off the locker as I watched him make his distance from me. Just like that, all of a sudden... he didn't want to be around me. He wouldn't say why…

A crush is only a crush. There was no need to worry about that for now… but I wasn't going to be like Jenrya. I wasn't just going to… _hide_ from this problem and pretend it didn't exist. Just then, I vowed to myself that I would help pull Jen out of whatever he'd gotten himself into. But for some reason, I didn't think I would be able to do this alone…

And I didn't _want_ to be alone. Being stuck at home for so long made me sick of that. It was time for me to seek out a second opinion for this situation. … Perhaps a third and fourth as well…

* * *

( POV – Nobody )

* * *

Leaning as far back in his chair as humanly possible without tipping over (not to say he wasn't _extremely_ close to doing so), Hirokazu lazily glanced to his classmates while gnawing on a pencil. Their teacher was not presently in the room, as an impromptu chatting session ignited between him and a passing-by friend of his at the beginning of class. Thus, class turned into study hall. Naturally, most students opted to socialize over studying, and Hirokazu was certainly one from that majority. 

He couldn't help but notice his two close friends, Takato and Kenta, remained quiet and rather deep in thought. Hirokazu wasn't about to let either of them have a moment to themselves, however.

"Come_ on_," he urged, making sure his voice was very clear and easily heard to his friends as he sauntered over to their area. "There's no excuse for you guys to be moping around when we've got a free period. Talk to me, people! I'm like, bored to death!"

"Not everyone is like you, Hirokazu Shiota," Kenta said with a huff, as he rested his face against his palm. "_Some_ of us actually have real concerns in our lives that are worth sacrificing some 'social' time to think about."

Takato looked up to face Hirokazu, seemingly apologetic. "Sorry, 'Kazu. I've kind of been… a little mentally occupied today."

"It's not healthy to think too much," Hirokazu advised. "Besides, thinking never got me anywhere. Not to mention it gives Kenta headaches nowadays when he does it in excess amounts."

"Though it can't be said for certain if it isn't just _you_ who's giving me these migraines," Kenta pointed out. "Just admit that you're a hassle and way more trouble than you're worth."

Hirokazu scoffed. "That's what a quitter does, Kitagawa."

Takato blinked… not sure if he was following Hirokazu on that. "How exactly does that make you a quitter?"

"Of the three of us, am I the only real male here?!" Hirokazu asked out loud to no one in particular. Of course, this brought a few stares to the group… not that Hirokazu gave a care. "Geez, it's like we're in kindergarten again. Okay, let me try to **translate** for you, Takato: admitting your inferior qualities in ANY way means you're giving up. That makes you a quitter, see?"

Then again, it occurred to Takato that maybe it wasn't necessarily his own fault that he couldn't follow Hirokazu. Perhaps it _was_ just impossible.

"I'm sorry, I still can't see how it makes sense," Takato admitted, shrugging. He didn't want to be **too** offensive; after all… his social track record wasn't in good standing today. "I think it's more of an acceptance or awareness thing, but that's just me…"

"You're right," Kenta cut in, nodding to Takato. "At least, you're way more right than 'Kazu. We're all flawed. Acknowledging those flaws makes you able to focus on overcoming them, rather than denying and not doing anything about them."

"Did I ask for you to dissect everything I say and totally kill its charm with your scientific mumbo-jumbo?" Hirokazu asked, attempting a snooty frown while smoothing back his hair. "Besides, there's no way I'd follow your judgment, or even yours, Takato! You guys totally don't have any self-esteem."

"It's not like your way is working any better than ours," Kenta interjected, though not with very much energy. In fact, he seemed a little out of it today… "Not like bickering about this is getting us anywhere." Kenta turned to Takato suddenly. "But what's on your mind? I mean, you just got better, and all… are you sure you're okay?"

Takato was a bit startled, as he abruptly became the focus of attention. He looked back and forth to Kenta and Hirokazu, stuttering before finding the words to make a coherent sentence.

"Ah, actually… I…." Takato paused, thinking back to earlier in the morning. The incident with Jenrya had happened about three hours ago. "Er, Kenta… have you seen Jen at all today?"

Kenta seemed a bit surprised himself at the mention of Jenrya. "Actually, come to think of it… I was meaning to ask you about him. He didn't show up for first period at all… considering what happened recently, I was hoping he was alright… he's like the last person who would ditch class for a stupid reason, right?"

"That's true," Takato muttered softly, his eyes finding the floor much more interesting at this point as his concerns came rearing their ugly head again in the back of his mind.

"Well, I_ did_ see him before school started today… he kinda left all of a sudden and didn't go into the why very much."

"He**left**?" Kenta inquired, adjusting his glasses. "What's that supposed to mean? When did he exactly leave?"

The shaggy-haired youth closed his eyes and took in a deep breath. He couldn't believe he was actually telling his friends about this private moment… not that outside of Jenrya ditching, there was anything in the way of incriminating information that Hirokazu could even make use of. Still, Takato felt like he was betraying Jenrya in a way… but he was so puzzled at how his best friend would even react now. But he promised himself that he would do whatever it took to get to the bottom of these problems… both his own _and_ Jenrya's. And Takato hated letting himself down as much as he hated letting down any of his friends.

"The last I saw of him, he was heading towards the entrance of the building just before first period started…"

Hirokazu's eyes widened. "So he **did** ditch!"

Kenta, however, looked slightly indignant of the prospect. "And you asked me if I saw him first period _why_, Takato?"

Takato only gave a weak shrug, still not looking at either of his companions. "I thought that… maybe he came back in… that maybe he didn't leave for the whole day. This _was_ before school started, after all…"

"What the hell did you say to him to make him wanna ditch, man?" Hirokazu questioned, obviously not giving much in the way of deep thought for his input and going with his first assumption.

"I-I barely said anything!" Takato snapped back, instinctively. He was standing straight up with his eyes focused on Hirokazu. And just as soon as he realized his sudden jumpiness, Takato backed down a little. "He… he wouldn't really talk to me… I just wanted to know what was wrong…"

"All things considering, what happened the week before," Kenta reconsidered. "Now it doesn't seem so surprising. Though it didn't stop Jen from going to school…"

"Not until today, apparently," Hirokazu pointed out. "What a bummer. This is Takato's first day back, too."

"I miss him," Takato admitted, bowing his head, almost as if he were ashamed of that. "I'm… kind of afraid that it's all my fault, you know?"

Kenta shook his head. "In most circumstances, you can do no wrong in Jen's eyes. You would've had to do something wrong on the_ criminal_ level to make him mad at you."

"Man, does he ever get pissed at us when we even make fun of you behind your back!" Hirokazu exclaimed, almost fondly. He chuckled for a moment, and then went quiet as soon as he realized Takato was staring at him. "Not that we… do that… behind your back. … Seriously!"

"Forgive me if I'm not taken aback in shock," Takato muttered, looking nothing beyond mildly annoyed. "I didn't think Jen was so defensive of me, though…"

"He makes it more apparent when you're not around," Kenta explained. "But while I'm on that line of thought… he's really not talked about you last week. Remember, 'Kazu? When you brought up that incident with Takato and the ballerina slippers from second grade in front of a huge lunch table?"

Takato's stomach turned automatically at the mention of that dreaded memory.

"Oh, _yeah_… man, I half-expected Karate Maniac Jenrya Lee to crack a table over my head for letting that one further ruin Takato's rep," Hirokazu recalled. "I mean, he was standing right there and all… but he didn't say anything! He didn't react… he just kinda stared at me for a bit and then walked away."

"Not like him at all," Kenta concurred. He glanced over to Takato. "I thought it was a little weird, but just some kind of weird coincidence at first…" He began to look concerned. "Honestly, Takato, are you guys having some kind of fight?"

"A fight?" The idea of such a thing almost made Takato's eyes well up with tears. Between that possibility and the events of the past few hours, the sensitive goggle boy couldn't handle a worst case scenario like that. "No… I mean, if Jen's mad at me, I don't know about it… b-but, the truth is…"

Both Hirokazu and Kenta leaned in closer; a bit too close for comfort, actually, each intrigued by what Takato had to say about this fishy situation.

"The truth is… this morning was the first time I've seen or spoken to Jen since the festival," Takato's eyes closed, trying to will away his inevitable crying.

Takato's friends resumed their normal postures after hearing that. Both of them had rather unintelligible expressions, trying to process the words…

"It's not like I haven't tried to contact him," Takato assured, his voice slightly wavering. "I-I couldn't do much before yesterday, since mom wouldn't let me out of bed, but I called for him on the phone several times every day… I've emailed him, I've used you guys to keep tabs on him… b-but he would never respond or call me back. He never came to visit me. And when I finally saw him today… I tried to be, like, casual, you know? I didn't wanna put him on the spot… but he barely spoke to me. And he just… eventually… kept saying less and less… then stopped responding altogether, and… went off his own way. Just like that…"

"_So_ unlike him," Hirokazu muttered under his breath. "Unbelievable."

After processing that information, Kenta frowned, looking sharply at Takato. "Not that I blame you for wanting answers, but you might've scared him off. Then again, you're the last person I would consider a confrontational type..."

"Like I said!" Takato reiterated. "I didn't even mention the concerns I've been having with him recently. I just asked him how he was doing since it's been a while... it's like nothing I said even mattered to him."

"Even if Takato _did_ scare him off, there's no way that would be enough to make Jenrya ditch school completely," Hirokazu reminded. "He's way too anal over his grades. Kind of like how you are now, Kenta."

Kenta rolled his eyes, mostly ignoring Hirokazu's banter. "So... what? You just made a little idle chit-chat and he bolted, just like that?"

Takato nodded, while Hirokazu looked rather miffed at being snubbed. "Well, kind of. He didn't exactly _bolt_, you see. At first he looked like he was trying to tune me out, but after a while, once I really started gabbing, Jen started looking really zoned out. He was all... spacey, like he was asleep, but still awake."

Hirokazu blinked. "I'm not really feeling these descriptions, dude."

"Well, uh..." Takato stammered, easily flustered as usual. "It's hard to articulate, you know? But he did have this scary blank expression on his face, which you don't normally see on Jen... and after a while, he just turned around and walked towards the exit. He didn't look natural at all; it was... robot-like movement."

"He's an ANDROID!" Hirokazu announced excitedly.

"Mm,_ no_," Kenta not-so-gently ended his friend's fantasy. "So, Takato. That's really weird and everything... didn't you try to stop him, though?"

"Of course I did," Takato answered. "I knew where he was headed, and I knew it wasn't a good idea. But I couldn't get to him. My, uh..." He was feeling a bit self-conscious admitting his mysterious health problem striking again, but for the sake of finding out what was going on with Jenrya... there was little else to say. "My chest... it started hurting really badly again," he quietly added.

That was enough for Hirokazu and Kenta to adopt _very_ serious expressions on their faces, the second they heard the last of what Takato said.

"You idiot!" Kenta cried, grabbing onto one of Takato's arms, as if he was fully ready to drag him to the nurse's office at a moment's notice. "That happened again, and you're worried about Jenrya?! Get up; I can't believe you waited this long before telling us that!"

Hirokazu followed suit. "Dammit, Takato! We just got you back! Don't let stupid crap like this happen and wait until now to tell anybody!"

Takato sighed. He didn't struggle against his friends' grasps, but he was firm in his position. "That happened a while ago, guys. It subsided after Jen left and I felt fine afterwards, and I feel okay now. Let's not go overboard."

"Speak for yourself!" Kenta protested. "Heart problems are no laughing matter, Takato. The doctors can't even figure out what caused the first one. You can't afford to be so careless!"

"I said I'm _fine_," Takato clarified, frowning. "It's not that I don't appreciate your concern, guys... but it was a very short-lived incident. I promise, if it ever happens again and it becomes a problem... I'll do something about it. But it did go on long enough to keep me from doing anything about Jen leaving..."

Hirokazu looked up, pondering something. "You don't think that maybe it's got something to do with Jen, do you?"

Kenta shrugged. "Normally, I'd say it's highly unlikely, but seeing as we don't even know what kind of ailment this is yet, it's best not to jump to conclusions one way or the other right now. Either way, he's made it pretty apparent that he doesn't want to talk to you, Takato. I'm sorry to say that, but..."

"... It's obvious, I know," Takato said, feeling pretty depressed upon confirming that. "I swear, I have no idea why he would want to avoid me. I almost wonder if... I did something that made him angry during the festival, but I don't even remember that whole night."

"Jenrya doesn't either," Kenta noted. "At least, as far as he's told us... that might be the key you're missing. But you know at least as far as the boat sinking, right?"

"Kind of. I mean, obviously since I've been told, but I can't really..._recall_ it. I don't know what happened before it or what happened after Terriermon left to get help..."

"Terriermon said it took him a while to fly across the lake," Hirokazu pointed out. "And you guys must've been soaking in that lake for a long time to be in the condition we found you in. Something could've happened in that frame of time before we arrived."

"Like what?" Kenta inquired. "They were swimming in the middle of a freezing lake. The very most they did was find an island to swim ashore on. They were probably too focused on keeping each other warm to even really talk."

Takato looked up, trying to visualize the situation that night. "It makes sense when you put it like that, Kenta. I guess the trauma hasn't gone away yet, though. I still can't remember the details..."

Kenta shrugged. "You two may deal with that trauma in different ways. Maybe Jenrya in particular just likes walling himself off until he can come to terms with that kind of thing. It seems cold, but... that's just how people operate sometimes."

"Maybe... it's just weird when he does it to me," Takato said. "Usually he doesn't hesitate to tell me anything. Now he's having a hard time even looking at me... and him ditching school... that can't be a good thing."

"Here's what I propose," Kenta stated. "Let me talk to Jenrya. However traumatized he may be still, he hasn't held back on talking with me or 'Kazu, so I'll ask him straight if anything's bothering him, or if there's anything you should know about what happened. At the very least, he'll give me some kind of _answer_."

Hirokazu looked amused. "You think he'll be honest with _you_, man?"

"He sooner would with me than you," Kenta argued, eying Hirokazu accusingly. "Because I won't blackmail him."

"Hey, extortion is effective in bringing out honesty in people! It just _forces_ the truth out rather than asking for it politely!"

Takato cracked a small smile. "I appreciate your help, guys. The sooner we can get our lives back to normal, the better."

"No problem," said Kenta, as he smiled back. The smile was short-lived, as concern once again arose. "Are you sure you're okay, though? If that heart attack symptom happened today, it'll probably keep coming up at random until we figure out how to put an end to it..."

"I'll let you know when it's time to worry," Takato assured. "That's something else I'd really like off my mind, too... it's like everything just went to hell after the festival."

"Tell me about it," Hirokazu groaned. "With you and Jen sick, and Juri keeping her secrets, and Ruki and Jaarin being so mopey... life's been sucking a _lot_ lately."

_'Juri...'_ Takato recalled, as he once again felt that warm, fluttery feeling inside. Much as he didn't like to think about his trivial, hypothetical love pursuits, the issue troubled Takato nearly as much as every other pressing matter... especially considering the increasing likelihood of the situations being connected. "Sorry to worry you guys so much..."

"Don't worry about it," Kenta said, stifling a yawn as he took on a more relaxed position. Wearily, his right hand went back to his throbbing temples, and he shut his eyes in frustration. "Now that no one's in danger of dying, I can lay off those caffeine products. Pretty sure that's what's causing these headaches..."

"It's getting colder out," Hirokazu mentioned, pointing at the nearest window. "You sure something's not going around?"

"It's just a simple headache," Kenta mumbled. "Nothing else. If class really is called off, though, I may as well get a catnap in. Maybe that'll make it go away..." Slowly, Kenta's arms buckled under him and rested his head. His eyes weren't fully closed yet, but his eyelids were progressively feeling heavier.

"Party pooper," Hirokazu teased, before looking at Takato. "Guess it's just you and me for the rest of the period, then!"

"Guess so," Takato muttered, looking around nervously, as he desperately felt the need to get his other issue off his chest... but with_ Hirokazu_? Honestly...?

Well… as Takato thought about it, he could actually see some logic in asking this particular friend. And after narrowly dodging death more than once, public humiliation didn't seem as threatening as it once did. Perhaps if he just worded it right…

"Hey, 'Kazu?" Takato asked. "Can I ask what it's like for you, being in love with two people at once? I mean… doesn't that get really, unnecessarily complicated after a while?"

Hirokazu frowned, apparently taking offense to the statement. "What, you want to scold me for being honest with my feelings, too? Like I don't already get enough of that from Kenta and Ruki and everyone else on the planet?"

"No, no!" Takato denied, hands shaking. "I'm just curious how you pull it off while… arguably… keeping your sanity! Haven't you ever… stopped to think about who you like more between Ruki and Ryo?"

"Pssh," Hirokazu huffed, rolling his eyes. "If I knew that, I'd focus all my attention on just one of them, wouldn't I? It'd kind of defeat the purpose of the love triangle if I knew who I really loved."

"Right, right…" Takato agreed, now a little embarrassed for asking such simplistic questions that were actually making _him_ seem dimwitted compared to Hirokazu. "You handle it pretty well; all things considered… what's your secret?"

That line made Hirokazu raise an eyebrow; his curiosity officially piqued. "Since when did you get so interested in how I manage my love life, dude? I've pretty much given you all the advice I could about how to impress Juri, but you never listen to me about that because you think my advice is bogus for whatever reason. Now you think I'm the friggin' oracle of all things romance?"

"Well, uh…" Takato stalled, surprised at how quickly his normally slow friend picked up on the suspicious nature of his inquiries. "Out of all of us, you're the only one I know who loves two people at the same time! I know it's something that's looked down upon in society, and…"

"And?" Hirokazu asked. He bore a grin, which struck fear into the timid heart of his friend.

Color swiftly drained away from Takato's face. Perhaps he made a mistake after all… if Hirokazu had little more than poor advice on how to handle one crush, why would the case be any different for two?

"You know what? Forget I said anything," Takato said, in an attempt to brush the matter off entirely. He banked on the hope that Hirokazu's short attention span would work in his favor for once. "So, how about this weather, huh…?"

"For your own good, you'd better stop while you're ahead." It was Kenta.

Both Takato and Hirokazu whipped around to their weary, bespectacled acquaintance. Apparently, he was something of a light sleeper.

"Changed your mind on the catnap, I see?" Takato assumed, nervously grinning.

Kenta sat up and frowned; eyes were zeroed in on Takato only. And he seemed a little exasperated at Takato's pathetic attempts to change the subject already… "Think about it, Takato. Do you _really_ want to find yourself in Hirokazu's shoes in any situation?"

Takato was taken aback by Kenta's directness. "You were listening to everything…? I-I mean…!" He knew it would be harder to lead Kenta astray… and having dug himself this deep already, it was likely impossible to do so. "I never said anything like that! I was just curious about how 'Kazu manages that kind of thing!"

"Oh, stop it," Kenta insisted. "Why would you suddenly show interest now if it still had no relevance to your life? 'Kazu's been in this kind of funk for quite a few months now."

Eye contact was very uncomfortable for Takato at this point. He weakly shrugged after turning his face away from Kenta. "I… I never really thought about it before until now. Once I sat down and thought about it…"

"Because it happened to you, right?"

Hirokazu looked straight at Takato after Kenta's succinct accusation. "No way. Seriously?!"

"What?!" Takato exclaimed in panic, eliciting some stares from the rest of the class. Wisely, a few beats of silence were implemented to ward away the unwarranted attention. Takato moved closer to Kenta, and chose to whisper the rest of the conversation, though still in an aggravated manner. "How do you figure _that_?!"

Kenta's expressions did not change; he maintained his sturdy, accusatory glare at Takato. "Admit it, Takato. You've always been horrible with keeping a secret. Every time you try, you keep walking right into situations where you're forced to spill it anyway. Stop wasting time by beating around the bush, already."

Being exposed so quickly and so flawlessly was… undeniably _off-putting_ for Takato. He still struggled to find a civil response to his friend; his opinion clearly solidified. It was increasingly discouraging for him to even make his own defense now. "Kenta, what's your deal? I barely say two words, not even to you, and you talk like you figured me out or something! Can't I say anything without getting snubbed or interrogated these days?!"

Takato's unusually harsh words even surprised Hirokazu, who found himself bumping an inch or so away from him.

With this, Kenta sighed, and went back to his previous resting position. "Fine, Takato. If you don't want to talk, you don't have to. Just remember what I said. You're making a mistake, and if you don't quit while you're ahead, you're going to regret it."

Having no response, Takato merely frowned at Kenta as he prepared to resume his nap. However, at that moment, the bell sounded off, marking the end of the class period. Kenta buried his face under his arms and groaned as his surrounding classmates stood up to prepare migration to their next class.

The awkward trio packed their things in silence. Takato mentally cursed himself for his impromptu idea, realizing that perhaps, he wasn't ready to spread his horrible secrets to the world yet.

In a single file line, they made their way towards the classroom exit. After Kenta separated the group down the hallway, Hirokazu, who was behind Takato, gently grabbed his shoulder before he cut away as well.

Takato froze, looking none too comfortable as Hirokazu dragged him back a bit so they could talk face to face. _'How is it he always picks the worst times to put his two cents in?'_ Takato wondered. He fully dreaded what he was about to hear, but thankfully, it came out a lot softer than Kenta's spiel.

"You sure you're okay, man?"

Takato blinked. "Huh…? Uh, yeah… I guess." He looked flabbergasted._'That's all he wanted to ask…? Seriously?'_

Hirokazu wasn't wholly convinced, but he smiled anyway. "Good; that's all I wanted to know. You take care, alright? I'll see you later." And with that, Hirokazu made his way to his next class.

"Thanks…" Takato said, a little too late, for Hirokazu had already left by the time the words left his mouth. "Maybe someday… I'll be ready to accept your help. Maybe even Kenta's…" He sighed and looked away. "It's too soon, I guess. I've got to let it… sink in some more," Takato figured. He looked down, and his subtle smile became a frown. "And I need to find out what's going on with him… that's… that's more important than anything right now."

The room of his next class was well within sight. Takato sighed, knowing that… normally… this was the class he shared with Jenrya.

As he walked to his last class of the day, some unfounded optimism of his held some hope that, perhaps, he'd be in there after all…

Perhaps it's not as bad as it seemed… and maybe, _just_ maybe, some of the things that went on earlier in the morning were just part of some kind of hallucination.

It was hard, but Takato pressed on, working with what little positivity he had left in this situation. But realistically, he knew things would only get harder from here.

* * *

( POV – Nobody)

* * *

Of course, Jenrya wasn't at his last period class. He had spent much of the day walking through town with the same vacant expression on his face he had when he left school early in the morning.

But eventually, there was some sense in Jenrya's walking patterns, as he eventually found his way back to his home. Even in his mind, Jenrya seemed frozen in time; his body seemed to move of its own accord, as if he were possessed. His consciousness faded into black just after the dark slime enveloped him in the school hallways.

Despite Jenrya's lack of influence and common sense, his body seemed to be able to climb stairs, operate an elevator, and open doors as per usual. With no hesitation, he entered his apartment complex and headed straight for his room. Jenrya walked across a mostly empty living room; his mother, Mayumi, normally stayed at home, but just so happened to be taking a shower at this time.

Lopmon also usually remained at the complex, as her presence proved to be too much of a distraction for Shuichon at school. However, she just so happened to be in her Tamer's room when Jenrya came home early; therefore, she did not notice him.

Who _did_ notice was none other than Jenrya's own Digimon: Terriermon. In a rare instance, Terriermon lounged on one of the couches, reading a book. After looking at the nearest clock, Terriermon knew it was too early for anyone to be returning home. He set the book aside and stood up, studying Jenrya with confusion before making with the questioning.

"Hey, Jen…! What's wrong, did you have a relapse…?"

Jenrya didn't reply, or even acknowledge his partner. He made it to his destination, and closed his door behind him before Terriermon could shout anything else at him. Terriermon didn't bother running after him, at this point.

He was learning from Jenrya's behavior… and he knew, more likely than not, that door was locked. The game of patience had been a game played many times in the household since the festival incident, and Terriermon was getting better at it with every round.

Terriermon frowned and shrugged off the matter. Just because he had to play the waiting game with Jenrya didn't mean he couldn't tattle on him to his mother the second she got out of the shower.

After shutting the door and locking it, like a light switch, Jenrya's eyes snapped wide open as he found himself back in reality.

"W-what…?" He wondered out loud, looking around and quickly recognizing where he was. "Why am I _here_ all of a sudden…?"

He looked to the clock on his desk stand and promptly freaked. "D-did I just miss all of school today?!"

"**Please. Believe it or not, that's the least of your worries."**

Jenrya snapped and rapidly searched for the source of that dreaded voice in every nook and cranny of his room. "I should've known it was you…! What nerve… show yourself, already!"

He got his wish, but Jenrya quickly wished he hadn't done so. It was shocking to see his mysterious, anonymous company take on such a _human_ form. It still lacked detail such as facial features, of course, but the outlines were very precise; it didn't look like a disfigured mass of fog anymore. Now, it could easily pass for someone's shadow…

Jenrya studied the changes in his guest before uttering out his full reaction. "Looks like you've been busy since I last saw you... what exactly is your plan?"

"**Plan?"**the shadow echoed. **"I've just been waiting for you to become available. I have some pretty effective tricks, don't I?" **

"It's bad enough you're killing my social life," Jenrya complained. He already felt like throwing a punch at this guy, even though he knew it wouldn't make a bit of difference whether he did it or not. "I can do without you killing my grade point average, if that isn't too much to ask."

"**I'll try not to make a habit of that,"** the stranger nonchalantly promised. **"But don't worry about your standing; you'll bounce back soon enough."**

"Whatever; what do you want from me _now_?" Jenrya asked, impatiently so. "Judging from your changes, it looks like you want to try out being a human, but why you would want to and how I could help with that? I have no idea whatsoever. Even if I can help, what's it going to take for you to leave indefinitely?"

The mockery of the human shadow stifled a laugh. **"Believe me; I didn't bring you here for the same reasons as before. I've gotten all the information I need out of you to carry out my plan."** As he spoke, the detail on him slowly began to refine itself, until his form started to look... frighteningly familiar. **"This visit is the final touch."**

"Final touch...?" Jenrya said, confused at first, but then trailed off upon realizing his opponent's evolving form happening even at this point. A face was almost showing. The shadow had the same build and height as his own. What would presumably be hair if he were a real person was strikingly similar to his own.

But 'similar' was a vast understatement at this stage of the development.

He was now an identical, _perfect_ shadow of Jenrya Lee.

When that had sunk in, Jenrya found himself backing up against the door he locked. "W-what's this?! What are you?! What do you think you're_ doing_?!"

His doppelganger made its first true smile. **"You speak of me as if I was some sort of invader. The thing is, Jenrya Lee, it's the opposite. I've been living inside you all your life. The events of the festival manifested into such a potent negative energy that I was finally able to become my own sentient being. But don't mistaken yourself; you're no more Jenrya Lee than I am myself, and vice-versa." **

"Impossible...!" Jenrya spat, now terrified at what he was witnessing. "You're nothing like me at all! How could something like you just _live_ inside me for all these years?! You're lying!"

"**I didn't expect you to accept such a thing with open arms,"** the figure mused. **"In fact, that goes right along with what I said about you earlier... regarding how you tend to handle the truth when it's given to you." **He inched closer to Jenrya, who was too paralyzed with fear to think to open the door and escape.

"I-it doesn't make any sense..." Jenrya mumbled nervously, desperately trying to make sense of his situation. "How could something like you live inside of me...? If you are me, why do you insist on doing this to yourself?!"

Face to face, the gap between the two narrowed considerably. With Jenrya scrunched up against his door, the shadow version of him seemed to tower over his counterpart.

"**I may be a part of you,"** his double explained. **"But that doesn't mean I have the same thoughts, feelings, and opinions as you do. Didn't you hear me? I was brought to life because of your negative feelings; your unwillingness to confront yourself about what happened to you at the festival, and your ridiculous self-loathing in regards to how you deal with your family, friends, and everyone else in this world! I am essentially the embodiment of all your mistakes, flaws, and sins." **

It scared Jenrya to hear such strong words projected at him, by something that looked so much like his clone. And now, upon thinking about it... the voice wasn't wholly dissimilar to how his own sounded, either. Surprising how that obvious detail didn't become obvious until now, after so many confrontations...

His mind snapped eventually, which set his hand off to find the doorknob. But in all of his panic, he had forgotten he locked the door. He fumbled to find the lock as he was against the door back first, but his eyes and general focus were taken up almost solely by his dark twin.

"Everything negative?! How can it even work like that?!" he asked, almost desperately. "That goes against all logic in this world! You can't be a natural occurrence; no way, no how!"

"**Heh, well, you have a point,"** the shadow admitted. **"In a sense, anyway. My existence is a rather interesting fluke, but as you are right now, why would I bother telling you?"** He began to sound rather offended. **"I meant no ill will against you at the beginning, despite my strong disagreements regarding how you've run your life. But you wouldn't even accept my introduction; you've been dead set against me since I've become my own entity."**

"You said it yourself!" Jenrya pointed out. "You're a fluke! You're_not_ supposed to be here... why should I accept you?!"

The tone of his unwanted guest turned dark. **"Because, like it or not, I am a **_**part**_** of you, and your intolerance towards yourself is the only thing that has sent you on the downward spiral in life. So, until we reach an understanding, I'm going to take matters into my own hands for the time being! Even if that renders you merely a part of **_**me**_**."**

Jenrya well caught the nuance of what was said to him. He was cornered and too frantic to unlock himself out of his confinement, and too shaken to think of screaming for help. He tried so hard to access this problem and quietly solve it himself...

But tragically, he realized too late that things never worked out when he tried to put the weight of the world on his shoulders. He really did need his friends after all...

Like a gale wind off the Pacific coast, Jenrya's shadow blew right into Jenrya, triggering an instantaneous flash of a transformation. The Jenrya the world knew and loved found himself uncontrollably sleepy shortly afterwards, and with little to no resistance, he fell to his knees and passed out.

Moments later, he awakened and got back onto his feet as if nothing ever happened. But there was a change; shockingly, a physical one. Jenrya no longer donned his usual clothes... no more was his brown jacket, his blue shirt, or his green pants. He now had a rather intimidating full-body suit. It was black and skin-tight, with matching, imposing combat boots and a loose matching belt hanging around his waist. A complicated, matching vest completed the makeover... and save for a rather sinister smile, the rest of Jenrya remained virtually unchanged. The same eyes, the same hair, and the same face.

As if Jenrya himself just simply decided to try on a new look. A highly uncharacteristic one for him, but nonetheless...

Conveniently, there was a mirror nearby for the new Jenrya to utilize; to review his first true foray into the world. Turning once, looking over every angle, Jenrya smiled in approval of his choice and looked towards the door he had locked.

"I may need to do some shopping," he mused with delight. "The closet contents, as they stand, have always been something I direly wanted to rectify. Hm..."

Every inch of the room was plenty familiar to him; after all, despite the different Jenrya, the memories and general knowledge had always been shared between the two. He foresaw no problem fitting in, confident that, even if anyone else caught on to the change, that it would be too late to do anything about it. This new Jenrya had a powerful force in mystique on his side.

"We'll see how you like living my life, my dear antithesis," Jenrya said, mostly to himself, but knew anything he said could be heard by the familiar Jenrya deep within his consciousness. Much as he would surely protest, the true Jenrya was now completely powerless. "And pay attention to how the Anti-Jenrya beats you in your own game of living _your_ life. No doubt, it'll be painful, but whatever gets you to learn..."

He walked to the door and unlocked it, but before opening it and heading out, the new Jenrya smirked as an amusing thought popped in his head. "All things considered, I _am_ the Anti-Jenrya, aren't I? You can think of a nickname for me with that, can't you?"

He waited for a moment, knowing he'd get his counterpart's feedback soon enough. Like telepathy, it came silently, of course. The darker side of Jenrya chuckled as the idea formulated in his head.

"Antijen, hm... well, I suppose bad puns are consistent with who 'I' am," he admitted. "Antijen it is, then. But..." He turned the knob. "Just remember, for the time being, **I** am Jenrya Lee, and no one else."

Antijen opened the door and stepped out freshly into the world that was now his to walk upon. Excited to leave the complex and explore his world, he made a beeline for the front door, only to be intercepted by none other than his mother and his Digimon.

After a few moments of a standoff, Antijen blinked, feigning surprise. "Mom! What's... up?"

Mayumi peered at her child intently. The clothes took her off guard, but that was not the main point of her concern at present. "Would you tell me why you left school early?" At first, she seemed rather indignant, but quickly softened when she remembered how moody and sensitive Jenrya had been lately. She knew it was best to tread lightly if she was going to get anything out of her troubled son.

"If you started to feel bad again, that's okay," she assured. "But you shouldn't have walked home by yourself if that's the case... you know I'm always available to pick you up whenever you need a ride."

After processing that information, Antijen shrugged. "Whatever it was, I'm over it now. I feel a lot better, actually, so I think I'll head out again..." Realizing how suspicious this sounded, he amended with "... to meet up with my friends so they can tell me what I missed for class today!"

If Mayumi wasn't going to ask, Terriermon saw no choice but to go there himself. "What's with the Mission Impossible gear, Jen? I think you missed the boat on Halloween – ooh, bad pun," he noted as he caught that. "You definitely weren't wearin' that when you came in just a second ago!"

Antijen sighed, thinking perhaps the garish outfit wasn't the best to start out with. "What, is it a crime to suddenly have good taste in clothes?"

Mayumi was taken aback by that statement; it was definitely something she never thought she'd hear her practical, intellectual son say. "I suppose it's important if you want to look your best... but it seems rather..."

"Punk-ish," Terriermon finished for her. "And maybe it's just me, Jen, but I gotta be frank with you, being your partner and all: you'll never be kickin' it on the West Side with your homies, G. Seriously, the universe would just explode if you ever pulled that off. So please, as your friend, I'm beggin' ya not to destroy the universe, alright?!"

That spiel brought about stares from Antijen _and_ Mayumi.

"... and that spandex makes you look gay," Terriermon added, in his unique way of trying to save face.

After a few more seconds of staring, Antijen just looked back to his 'mother'. "Anyway... I'll see about being back before dinner time. If you need me, give me a call."

Mayumi was a little stunned to see her son take charge in a conversation so effortlessly. She found herself just mindlessly nodding to everything he said... "Right, of course, dear. Just don't stay out too late... I'll be making something nice for you."

"Good, good. I'll see you later, then," he said with a wave, about to open the front door until Terriermon came between him and the exit. Antijen looked down and frowned, but being part of the real Jenrya taught him how hard it could be at times to shake off Terriermon once he got the indication that his partner was not well. "What do you want?" he asked, tiredly.

"I was stuck at home all day, as if you didn't notice!" Terriermon exclaimed. "Now you're trying to leave without me, huh? Not happening, buddy." He jumped onto Antijen's back and clung to him like a burr. "Onward, my mighty steed!" the tiny Digimon commanded, followed by a brief cackle.

Antijen looked heavily annoyed, but ultimately, ignored Terriermon's insanity as he looked to his mother again. "Have you checked the kitchen lately? It sounds like he raided the pantry and consumed all of the sugar again."

Mayumi blinked, and suddenly looked worried. She looked towards the kitchen… "Oh dear, I forgot to put the lock on… I suspect there's a mess in there," the weary woman said with a sigh. She gave Terriermon a rather disgruntled look.

"Hey, ease up!" Terriermon said, holding his paws up in defense. "Fool you once, shame on me… fool you twice, shame on _you_, Jen's mom."

Mayumi groaned and rubbed her temples. "Jenrya, if you would, please just get him out of here for a few hours…"

Antijen frowned. "I guess that was an order," he assumed, looking to Terriermon. "Geez… where did I go wrong with you?"

"You've got it mixed up," Terriermon shot back. "I make you look _good_."

"In some screwy alternate dimension, maybe…" Antijen replied, again heading for the front door. "See you later, mom."

"Goodbye, dear… be careful."

"I will."

The door shut. So effortlessly, Mayumi's son slipped out of her fingers once more.

Mayumi sat down on the couch to reflect on that conversation she held. It was the most talkative her son had been since the festival started, and he definitely _seemed_ to act more like his old self…

… So why did she still feel so troubled?

Lopmon was passing by, making her way to the kitchen until she noticed Mayumi, sullen and sinking further into the couch's cushions. Concerned, she quietly tiptoed towards the mother of her Tamer.

"Miss Mayumi…?" she called out, meekly. "Is everything alright?"

Mayumi was brought back to reality through that small voice. "Oh…! Lopmon… y-yes, everything is fine."

Lopmon wasn't convinced. "Is Jenrya still giving you trouble? I'd figure he ought to be back to normal by now… enough time has passed…"

"Not necessarily trouble," Mayumi admitted. "He… he's actually talking to me now. He's not really displaying any anger… for the most part, he's respectful again…"

"It sounds like he's recovered," Lopmon noted, trying to be positive. "But still… you seem unsatisfied with something. Would you like to talk about it?"

Mayumi gave the little Digimon a sad smile as she picked Lopmon up and set her on her lap. She looked onward, towards the front door her son had just left through, absent-absentmindedly stroking Lopmon's ears…

"To be honest, I'm not sure what to say," Mayumi said. "Something about him is still off... it doesn't feel _genuine_ for some reason. It's strange, but his odd behavior before seemed somewhat... familiar to me. I can't quite put my finger on it, however..."

Lopmon frowned. "I see; so even though he appears to have recovered, you think there's still something wrong with him. But with an improved attitude..."

"He'll mask it better, yes," Mayumi agreed. "And it's strange... he had a rather interesting outfit on, and it's one I don't recall ever purchasing for him. I almost wonder if he's..."

"Fallen in with the wrong crowd?" Lopmon asked. Mayumi nodded to her in return. Lopmon leaned her chin against her paw and pondered this. "If Terriermon keeps an eye on him, we can probably prove or disprove that rumor rather quickly. I have to ask, though... what was it about his behavior that got your attention? What did it remind you of, exactly?"

Mayumi remained silent for a while upon having that question thrown at her. She didn't look comfortable at all with the idea of getting into it. In all honesty, her memories of many years ago were like some chaotic blur in her head; as if she retained her memories, but something in her mind unconsciously blocked it out.

Dismissively, she shook her head. "I suppose I worded it wrong. I meant to say that it's a mother's intuition that tells me whether or not my son is alright. Even if he pretends he's all better, I'll still know the truth, because I am his mother."

"That seems so... simple," Lopmon commented, considering that theory. "Then again, as a Digimon, I suppose I still don't understand the more complex aspects of family life." She smiled, sheepishly. "I'm only barely managing to memorize the basics as it is..."

"Believe me, between you and Terriermon, you are easily the most well-behaved, and you've blended in very well with our family, Lopmon," Mayumi assured, petting her. "Don't hesitate to come to me if you have any questions, though, alright?"

Lopmon nodded. "You're a wise woman, Miss Mayumi. I think I could learn a lot from you."

"That's good..." Mayumi said quietly, sliding slightly sideways as she was completely absorbed into the couch cushions. Without thinking of it, she drew Lopmon into a hug. This was not the type of hug Lopmon was accustomed to; that being the Full Nelson death grip that Shuichon constantly inflicted. This was a loose and gentle hug, with just the right amount of warmth and affection that created a balance Shuichon had not yet come upon.

Lopmon was relieved at how pleasant the hug was, but she quickly realized it was Mayumi doing the hugging, when she never did so to Lopmon before. It was strange... but Lopmon seemed to notice that Mayumi was off in her own little world as she held the petite Digimon against her chest.

"We'll make it right, someday..." Mayumi whispered; hopeful, yet weary. "I refuse to lose anyone else..."

That struck Lopmon like a wayward bolt of lightning. She gasped and looked to Mayumi, who was still in her self-induced trance. Lopmon didn't have the heart to break the moment, but the rather bold clue she let out seemed to open up a new realm of possibilities... Lopmon couldn't stop hypothesizing now.

But before she made any concrete logical connections, Mayumi snapped out of her daze and let go of Lopmon. "Oh...! I'm so sorry, Lopmon; I don't know what got into me. That wasn't appropriate at all..." She moved Lopmon onto the couch as she stood up, avidly looking around for some kind of chore to do.

"Well...!" she announced. "I believe dinner still needs to be made!" Mayumi marched right over to the kitchen area and started pulling out random ingredients. Briefly, she paused. "Lopmon, if you'd like to help out, you're more than welcome to."

Lopmon was too busy staring at her Tamer's mother for the first few seconds, but after a stutter or two, she responded. "Y-yes...! Of course, I wouldn't mind giving you a hand at all..."

She leaped off the couch and approached the kitchen area, where she climbed up to the counter. Mayumi and Lopmon proceeded to prepare their dinner, hoping something special might lighten up the mood, currently filled with very _cautious_ optimism.

To be carefree seemed like a dream simply out of reach for the moment.

* * *

( POV – Nobody )

* * *

Ever the martyr, Kenta decided to sacrifice playtime today for the sake of studying. His last few homework results had been dented a bit due to Kenta's lack of focus... of course, this was only because of what had happened to his dear friends.

Though the emotional disputes were still not resolved, the health issues were more or less a thing of the past, outside of Takato's random pseudo-heart attacks. That was still a cause for concern, but when it came to Takato, Kenta knew he was in for a world of pain. All Kenta wanted to do was spare Takato from that, after all he'd been through already.

It was a pain to keep up with everyone's issues, Kenta knew. Hirokazu foolishly in love with two people, Ruki effectively trapped in an endless pit of guilt, Juri being uncharacteristically secretive all of a sudden, Jenrya having severe attitude problems... and now, not only was Takato still in physical danger, he too was following Hirokazu's path by falling in love with Juri and one other person at the same time.

The sad part being, Kenta knew if everyone just calmed down and talked about their problems sensibly, they could be very easily resolved; within the _day_, even.

Takato's heart problems aside, it was the love issue that buggered Kenta the most. Mainly, this was because Kenta had lived it already. He knew what it was like to be in love, to express those feelings to that special someone, and to try a relationship, only to crash and burn horribly.

Kenta sighed and recalled that time about a year ago when it all started. He was still in his shell back then, basically viewing Hirokazu as God. It wasn't until they dated that Kenta became painfully aware of Hirokazu's many flaws, and it was then he realized how much Hirokazu's influence held him back. Kenta was never seen as much more than Hirokazu's lackey back in the day. Hirokazu's boisterous personality completely overshadowed Kenta in anything he did...

It wasn't until Kenta learned to act on his own that things changed. When he realized he was his own person, with his own unique talents and abilities and his own way of seeing the world, Kenta found a power within him he didn't even realize, not even when he became MarineAngemon's Tamer.

He asserted himself; he broke up with Hirokazu of his own accord, and began to take charge of his life. He worked his way up to become a respected member of his community, and his efforts rewarded him a top-tier spot in the student rankings, very close to resident genius Jenrya's level. People remember his real name these days, rather than just referring to him as 'Hirokazu's Lackey'. Fellow students ask _him_ for help and advice rather than his hyperactive acquaintance, whom, despite everything, Kenta is still good friends with.

Kenta only wished Hirokazu learned as much as he did from their ill-fated relationship.

That Hirokazu _did not_ learn from it, and now that Takato was bound to fall into the same pit Kenta once found himself in... direly, the boy in glasses wanted to stop these problems before they really got off the ground. Relationships were chaotic enough with just two people.

But with **three**?

Kenta didn't want to think about it. It made him sick to picture the screwy results in his head. He adamantly believed there were more important things to be worked on... but he wondered if, perhaps, he focused so much on gaining respect from his common fellow students that he forgot to take the time to impress his circle.

Perhaps the views on him by certain people were a little outdated...?

It was precisely things like this that made Kenta's head hurt. He was not home yet; Kenta just walked across town at a brisk pace, with his eyes glued to his feet blazing across the pavement.

While trekking downtown, Kenta eventually came up to a large variety of shops. Very basic Mom-n-Pop shops, but places of business nonetheless. Kenta looked up when he passed a drug store, thinking perhaps a little ibuprofen would soothe his frequent headaches.

Kenta paused and considered it, before finally going ahead and approaching the store. However, dazed as he was, he failed to pay attention to the now-sideways traffic coming at him, and he crashed into a fellow pedestrian just before he made any further progress.

Being taken off guard like that, the impact was strong enough to fling Kenta right against the sidewalk.

"Ow...!" Kenta groaned, as he knew this would only make his headache worse. Thankfully, he landed on his back (and consequently, his padded backpack) and avoided _hitting_ his head, but it was still a rough fall. It was enough to jolt Kenta's glasses right off his face; they clacked and clanged some distance out in front of him.

"Oh, man..." Kenta complained, still disoriented. Too startled to stand, he helplessly got on his knees and started crawling forward across the sidewalk to find his glasses. But, Kenta was rendered with rather bad vision since he was little, and he wound up being near-sighted, meaning he had a hard time seeing things from a distance.

He only prayed he could get to his glasses before someone stepped on them...

But instead, a large, blurry figure of someone wearing black came by, close to Kenta, and extended a hand forward to him. Briefly dumbfounded by this randomly-appearing stranger, Kenta silently took his hand and was pulled up to his feet.

"Th-thanks," Kenta uttered, trying to catch his breath. "I appreciate it, uh..." he squinted, trying to get a better look at his helper. "Sir? Ma'am?"

There was chuckling at the other end; masculine. But it sounded familiar...

"It's just me, Kenta," he said, offering him something. Upon scrutinizing, Kenta realized it was his glasses. He quickly took them and put them on, making the world clear again.

His helper turned out to be none other than Jenrya Lee. Well, Antijen as Jenrya Lee; close enough.

"Jen...?" Kenta gasped, surprised to have encountered him already.

Antijen nodded. "In the flesh. That was _me_ you ran into, by the way. You've got to pay attention, you know?"

"N-never mind that!" Kenta sputtered. "Why weren't you at school today?!"

Antijen shrugged. "Had a minor relapse; I was starting to feel sick again, basically. I assume the accident has made me more vulnerable to the weather changes, which have been coming quite rapidly this year..."

Kenta shook his head, not believing a word. "That's not what Takato said. Apparently he was the last one who saw you this morning..."

**Takato.** Him...

Antijen's eyes narrowed. "Since when do you take Takato's word as gospel, Kenta?" he inquired.

"I_ don't_," Kenta replied, looking a little offended. "But he sounded pretty honest when he was about to cry and everything. The way you're talking, it sounds like something definitely happened between you two..."

This only made Antijen's blood boil, but he was only subtly showing his growing anger.

"Look, you can trust me to keep any secret of yours safe," Kenta assured, a bit more softly. "I volunteered to be the middle man so we can work out these problems easily, so we can get back to our lives, you know? Not only that, but whatever's bothering you is making your grades slip, Jen... and I just can't stand by and let you sabotage something you worked so hard and so long to build up!"

"I appreciate your concern, but my deal with Takato involves only me and him; nobody else, alright?" Antijen advised in a low, but patient voice. "I will accept your help in getting me caught up with school, however. In that respect, I can't think of a better man for the job."

"What use will that be if we don't resolve your personal problems first?" Kenta asked in desperation. "That's why you've been faltering in the first place. _We need _to get to the source of your problem and take care of it! You need to talk to Takato, Jen. As soon as possible. I'm afraid he's going to fall apart too if you don't..."

Antijen sighed and looked up at the sky. "You just don't get it, do you?"

"I have a feeling it's more like something _you_ don't get," Kenta remarked. Then he blinked, just now noticing the drastic visual change in Jenrya. "W-wait, where in the world did you get those clothes from...? I never pictured you wearing anything like that..."

The antagonistic version of Jenrya looked back down at Kenta. "I thought it was time for a little change, that's all."

"In more ways than one, apparently," Kenta commented, appearing not to approve of this new style. "The Jenrya I know would never want to torment Takato like this by keeping his distance on purpose."

"Why do you have to word it like that?" Antijen asked him. "You're making me out to be a villain for no reason whatsoever."

"Because it's obvious you're not planning to do anything about your current situation!" Kenta accused, pointing at him. "Are you really just going to drop Takato like that? Like your friendship never existed at all?"

Antijen sighed, now seeming like _he_ had the headache. "Please don't talk about things you don't understand."

"That's just it, though!" Kenta interjected as he balled his hands up into fists. "I understand _exactly_ what's going on!" Unbeknownst to him, an _extremely_ subtle glow of violet-hued light began to cover Kenta as he continued his tirade. Antijen was quick to notice this, and his facial expression grew sour.

_'It can't be...'_ Antijen thought. _'Already... he's becoming aware of his power...'_

"Maybe we don't know what really happened on the lake during festival night, but I'm pretty sure I know it was then that a lot of this crap started up!" Kenta exclaimed. "I didn't want to believe it; it seemed so obvious, but so improbable... but seeing the way you two act around each other now, I can't see how it's anything but."

A slightly intenser light emanated directly from Kenta's forehead. It too was colored purple, and it was still lost on Kenta what was going on (though several passerbys were quick to maneuver around this argumentative pair, and some moved along even faster when they noticed Kenta glowing).

Once again, Kenta brought out his accusing index finger. His head was throbbing in pain out of control at this point, but he was too riled up in his wild discoveries to even pay attention to his ailing condition anymore.

"It's **you**," Kenta said lowly to Antijen. "He... he fell in love with **you**."

Antijen didn't seem to be paying attention to Kenta's allegations, however. He was far more interested with what was going on with Kenta's forehead; the brighter light had formed into a very peculiar shape. Eventually, the light on his forehead subsided (though the general glow covering Kenta's body still remained), leaving a distinct symbol emblazoned upon him.

Lined in royal purple, the symbol was two circles connected together by a single line.

"You knew it all this time... and you've been stringing him along for two whole weeks! How could you?!"

It didn't take long for Antijen to recognize this mark, and upon doing so, his face twisted into something truly wretched and angry. Kenta stopped talking after noticing that Antijen's expressions had taken a turn for the worst. Ironically, while _still_ not noticing his own changes, he was becoming very aware of Antijen's changes, as he began to glow with a particularly dark aura.

"When did you get so smart, huh?" Antijen said with a short laugh. His head was bowed down, so his face was hidden. By this point, the vicinity had been cleared; people in Shinjuku were pretty good about learning to run when wild special effects came about.

"A year ago you were a nobody... a crony... a puppet, essentially," he continued. "Look at you now... thinking you can solve everyone's problems just because you had a handful of your own. The world doesn't work that way, Kenta. You should be wise enough to know that, at least!"

"W-what are you talking about...?" Kenta asked meekly. "W-what's happening to you, Jen?!"

Antijen looked up to face Kenta, and grinned. The sinister look make Kenta nearly jump. "Didn't think I'd end up using my powers here so early on... but I guess it's necessary when you've got a know-it-all pest stalking you and ruining your fun. Don't you worry, Kenta. It won't kill you... and best of all, you won't even remember it!"

Kenta stepped back, thinking perhaps it wasn't wise to hang around the area anymore. "I get it now..." he muttered. "You're not him... you're not Jenrya at all..."

"Shows how much you know," Antijen taunted with a laugh, as he raised his right hand, pointing towards his target. A stronger layer of darkness covered his hand as he seemed to be charging some kind of attack. "Oh, Kenta... you should've known better to come out attacking me with such a personal topic. How _rude_. So let me teach you something about **manners**!"

A frigid gust of air blew upwards at Kenta, and just as he had the notion to move out of the way, he found his feet stuck to the pavement. In an instant, a spiraled twister of black energy shot up straight from the block of cement Kenta was bound to, engulfing him in a storm of twilight obscurity.

It was fierce, but brief. Kenta's screams were muffled by the loud howl of wind perpetuated by the mini-cyclone... but after ten to twenty seconds or so, the twister subsided.

Kenta, however, looked like a wreck. His aura had vanished. The symbol on his forehead remained, but it was now lined with black rather than purple. His glasses had been flung off his face in the storm, rendering Kenta legally blind once more. Devastated from the attack, Kenta choked out a few desperate sounds, seeing only an extremely blurred view of this wicked Jenrya clone before giving in to his fatigue, and falling flat against the pavement, completely unconscious.

"Hmph," Antijen grunted, not giving Kenta more than a few seconds' worth of a look over before turning and walking away. "Not even remotely a challenge... surprising as it is that he's realized his inner strength already. Though, thanks to me... he's been set back a bit. So he'll simply have to do all of that over-analyzing over again." He chuckled to himself.

He looked around the town. While the general vicinity was cleared, Antijen knew there were people in hiding nearby, just waiting for the right time to call the police. After clearing his throat, Antijen stood still and focused his energy...

He shut his eyes just as a blinding white flash covered much of the area; as far as the eye could see. Once it faded and things looked normal again, Antijen re-opened his eyes and smirked, knowing full well what he did.

Memory Erase.

Like Kenta, the citizens of Shinjuku who happened to witness any part of the event that just passed would no longer recall it.

"Great way to cover my ass," Antijen noted with a grin. He gave one final look back to Kenta, who was still out cold. "Don't worry," he assured his unconscious friend. "I'm sure someone will notice you eventually and get you to a doctor before you die. ... Maybe."

"_NO!! Why are you doing this?! I can't believe you!! I can't let you leave Kenta there to die! Help him!!"_

Antijen frowned; the true Jenrya within him had been protesting his recent actions since the very beginning, but the dominant Jen was always able to block it out until now. Somehow, Jenrya's overwhelming concern was finally strong enough to break through the barrier. Not that it mattered in the long run, Antijen knew. Jenrya still had no power of his own to escape and reclaim his body... he only had the power to annoy his dominant counterpart for the time being.

"Ugh, stupid conscience," Antijen muttered. "Honestly, why should I? He just made extremely wild accusations about you and your dear Takato."

There was a slight pause, but Jenrya would not remain silent for long. _"You can't hurt people just because they antagonize you! How in the world are you anything like me if you can't even understand that?!"_

"You forget your past so easily," Antijen noted vaguely. "I am you, with **perspective**, Jenrya. I wouldn't be very interesting if I was exactly like you down to every detail, don't you think? Come to think of it, if that were the case... I'd never feel the need to take charge of your body, now would I?"

Jenrya wanted to say so much more to his wayward twin, but he remembered there were more important things to tend to now. He knew at this point he had no hope of escaping... but if he could convince Antijen to get Kenta taken care of, he'd at least be satisfied then... _"We'll discuss it later. There's more important things to do right now! Now call the hospital...!"_

Hands tied; Antijen sighed. Even he, himself, did not want Kenta to die... yet. "Touché, my inferior double. I'll go ahead and do that, then."

Owing up to his word, Antijen went to the nearest pay phone and called the hospital, citing the emergency situation. He smirked as he hung up, for Antijen did not plan to stick around for the arrival of the ambulance.

As casually as one who caused such chaos could, Antijen walked back the way he came, past Kenta. He gave him one good sneer after walking by him. "Let's see you try to nail me again, you loser. I'll win every time; I promise," he taunted to the still-unconscious Kenta.

Satisfied with his work, Antijen chose another direction to explore the world he'd always gotten to see but never was able to experience in his own right.

If the future results would end peacefully and normally like Antijen's first interaction with his mother and Digimon, or explosively like his first time talking to Kenta, who knew?

Anti-Jenrya had his own set of moral boundaries, clearly. But he had the power to get away with his freedom, even if it would be the wrong thing to do.

Whatever came of this would surely be nothing worth keeping around; that, as much, was certain.

* * *

( POV – Takato )

* * *

Why did I even bother hoping he'd be there? Oh well... c'mon, Takato. Happy thoughts! Happy thoughts! Don't bog yourself down so low on your first day back! I've got two tons of homework doing that job well enough already!

Happy thoughts... positive... nice...!

Ugh... couldn't believe it was already November. I missed half of October, a month I actually like, and the first day I come back, it's all dreary and gray outside; typical November characteristics. A small thought in my head entertained the idea of celebrating my full recovery (or about as full as it's gonna get at this point...), but really, when I thought about it... with all of this drama going on, what else is there to celebrate?

After the festival, the group became pretty... disjointed, honestly. Going by Kenta and 'Kazu's updates, it sounded like the only time everybody got together was when they were coming to check up on me. And even then, it wasn't even _everybody_ because Jen was never with them...

But boy, did I feel that tension today. I should've known better than to go about babbling about my stupid problems, even if I was trying to mask it by being... hypothetical with my questions. I should've remembered, though, that Kenta's awfully good at reading people's expressions. People were telling me after we first got home from the Digital World, that Kenta was the first one who figured out who Gallantmon really was. How he figured it out, I still have no idea, but... I guess for the same reason, that's why Kenta can understand MarineAngemon, even if the little guy can only speak about five words total, and they're not even real words to begin with...

Kenta really has flourished since our adventures. I felt like a moron about forgetting him when it came to the love advice. Even if Kenta's never been in love with two people, anyone, at least he'd been there, done it, and taken pictures to boot. Especially after all that jazz, Kenta's been way more level-headed than 'Kazu. I should've asked him directly instead.

Getting everybody together for a celebration just didn't seem like a good idea right now. Everyone's too pissed at everyone for a party to be worth the effort. Even poor Juri wasn't much in the mood to talk today... that in particular worried me more than the other issues. Juri's always been the one to brighten up our days... even if it seemed hopeless, she at least would put on a little show with her puppet as a desperation move. That method works works pretty well, actually. We magically forget our animosity towards each other after a few minutes of Juri acting nutty with that... that _puppet_.

Come to think of it... I couldn't remember the last time I actually walked home from school _by myself_. Hirokazu kinda wandered off in another direction for some reason today... last I saw of him, he was heading right for an area where I believe a lot of reconstruction is taking place in the historic downtown area.

I'd be surprised if he came in tomorrow injury-free. Even I couldn't deny the obvious; 'Kazu is... well... 'challenged'. Just because I can't deny it doesn't mean I can't sugarcoat it!

I didn't expect Kenta to walk with me after our little bout of tension earlier today. He shuffled out of school pretty quickly, so I imagined he was already home...

Juri completely vanished from sight the second I took my eyes off her. I... I really hoped she was okay. All of us falling apart at once was taxing enough on my emotional durability. It'd just... it'd _kill_ me to see Juri going through a hard time again, especially one she feels she can't seek our help for.

She invests a lot of time in picking the rest of us up when we're down, so I figured it's practically mandatory to return the favor when she winds up being the one in need. And I'll be first in line to make her feel better.

I just wished I knew where she was right now...

"He's_ bad_. Very _bad_. Good riddance!"

"That's not very nice, you know... even if he's been so rude, we shouldn't put ourselves on his level."

N-no way... was it really as easy as just walking by the park?!

Sure enough, there she was. Juri Katou, sitting on the swings and conversing with her companion of manufactured felt. Nobody else was around...

"He's not as cute as Ta-Ka-To, my dear! You need to set your aims a little higher; if you can't bag a rich one, at least bag a hottie! Though, he _is_ from a well-off family... hmm... you may be on to something after all..."

"W-what?!" Juri exclaimed in a choked gasp. "Just what are you insinuating?!"

"You're The Bachelorette, Juri! Vote 'em all off the island! Dig deeper for the _real_ gold!_"_her rabid-looking Puppet proclaimed, as if it were on the pedestal... wow, sometimes I even scare myself with my own wacky descriptions and analogies.

Luckily, Juri wasn't buying it. "Take that back! I'm nothing like that at all! I need to start putting you away when I watch TV from now on..."

Into a furnace, I hoped. ... Why the heck was I eavesdropping like some Peeping Tom, anyway? Seriously, I've matured better than this...

"Hey, Juri!" I shouted out to her, waving and running over to her without a second thought. "Fancy seeing you here, huh?!"

"T-Takato...!" Juri leaped out of her swing in surprise. Whoops... didn't mean to scare her.

Upon realizing I could give someone a heart attack one day with that kind of approach, I scratched my head and nodded in apology. "S-sorry about that, I didn't mean to startle you... I was just wondering what you were still doing outside; that's all. It looks like it's going to rain..." Honestly, I didn't really want to ask about what on Earth the Puppet was rambling on about before I got here.

"Oh... I suppose it is," she said, looking up at the sky as if she didn't realize it before. Hm... she must be pretty preoccupied with something. "I was just... trying to cheer myself up, that's all..." Juri didn't look like she wanted to admit that, but it was relieving to know she was still honest with me.

To her, I nodded in agreement. "I think we're all dealing with some kind of conflict... I can't even remember the last time we all went our separate ways after school, can you?"

Juri didn't seem to have thought about that before. I think it made her even more depressed to realize the truth to my observation. ... dah, I was trying to make her feel _better_, not worse...

"You're right," she said, sounding ashamed. Aw, man... "I'm sorry, Takato. I guess I've been a little... under the weather myself."

My expressions softened at this. Kenta was right; there was really no point to me beating around the bush all the time. It felt like I was just rubbing salt in the wound, here. "What's wrong, Juri...?" I asked her quietly.

At least Juri smiled at that, but she took her time to come up with a reply, and started with shaking her head. "Oh, Takato... honestly, if I knew everything, I would tell you. Then again..." The smile faded. "I'm not even supposed to."

"Not_supposed_ to?" I repeated, not liking the sound of that one bit. Who could possibly...? "W-what's really going on? Is that why you haven't been hanging out with us?"

"I suppose, at least to keep my mouth shut," Juri admitted, but she was progressively looking more worried by the second. "Though I guess that was a pointless precautionary measure, seeing as he's distanced himself anyway..."

..._really_ didn't like the sound of this!

In the end, though, Juri shook her head. Apparently she had no intention of spilling everything to me so easily. "Can you guys maybe... wait a while longer, while I sort it out myself? I'm still trying to comprehend it all, and confusing you all over the matter won't do any good... and it'll probably split us further apart."

More than anything, I hated this. This whole... situation. If it's gotten to the point where Juri's afraid to even talk to us... then our communication issues were a _lot_ more serious than I originally thought them to be.

"Cleeeek!"

Just then, Juri and I were taken by surprise by a sudden flash of light. We looked around, and saw nobody, but Juri was quick to gasp in surprise when she decided to look above us. "Terriermon!"

Sure enough, there was Jenrya's Digimon, perched on the lowest branch of the giant tree hanging over us. In his little paws, he held a cell phone; opened up and pointed directly at us. Judging by the flash, I could only assume this mysterious phone had a camera feature.

But where in the world did Terriermon get a...

"Heheh, sorry, couldn't resist," Terriermon apologized sheepishly. "I was passing by, and seeing you two just _screamed_ a Kodak moment for me."

"Uh... Terriermon?" I was still completely bewildered. "What are you doing with a cell phone? I can tell that isn't Jen's..."

That really left only one option where that phone came from... I just didn't want to assume the worst in people... or Digimon...

Terriermon sighed and shrugged. "You got me, Takato. I found this off some dude who fell asleep on the bench about a block back." He quickly took the defensive as we stared at him disapprovingly. "... I was gonna give it back! Sheesh..."

Juri still looked pretty disappointed. "Honestly, Terriermon... between this and what we heard you did at the festival... why do you steal so much? Don't you know that's wrong? Weren't you taught better than that?" Really, Juri took the words right out of my mouth...

All Terriermon gave us was another wry smile and witty remark. "I guess I'm just your friendly neighborhood kleptomaniac; so sue me!"

"Kleptomania would explain a lot, actually," I mused. "Still, that doesn't excuse you from doing something wrong. You'd better delete that picture and return that phone before that guy wakes up and notices what's missing."

Great, just great... now I have to babysit Jen's own Digimon in his place while he was off... god only knows where. But... that raised a good point. It was worth holding up Terriermon atoning for his little sin, at least.

"Hold on a second, Terriermon," I called out. "What're you doing outside, anyway? Did Jen take you out with him?"

"He_ did_," Terriermon answered bitterly. "But he was awfully quick to ditch me; I'm thinking he didn't want me coming outside with him at all. He's really been acting weird, and even I still can't put my finger on it..."

Juri couldn't believe it. "He just... up and left you? That can't be... why is he _doing_ all of this?" She looked way more horrified than she should've been over this neglectful incident. But it was likely there was more to her fear than what she has expressed out loud... she was probably thinking about all the stuff she wouldn't yet tell me.

I bet a lot of that stuff she's withholding... was about Jen.

Randomly, I just realized how much easier for me it's been to talk to Juri. Normally I'd be blushing up a storm after having this much one-on-one time with her... but social problems aside, I was pretty calm so far. I knew I still loved Juri... but... it seemed even my heart knew there were more important things that needed to be dealt with first. And a lot of that... was going to involve helping Juri. I didn't have time to waste being all gushy around her when she's so depressed. She needed my help; _anyone's_ help, really... I was determined to be the one that picked her up from all this before anything bad happened this time around.

"He completely skipped school today," I recalled out loud. "When exactly did you see him, Terriermon?"

"Every class, huh?" Terriermon asked me. I nodded; not that I shared every class with Jen in the first place to confirm it myself, but I had several accounts of students who did share other classes with him that could confirm his absence. "Funny, he didn't word it that way to me and his mom when he came home early in the afternoon..."

"That's... a really big gap of time between the time he left school and when he got home, then," I pointed out, wary of what could really be going down with him... "He left right before first period started. What was he doing for the rest of the morning?"

Should've expected it... Terriermon had no idea. "What, you think he was any less vague to me?"

Finally, Juri spoke up. For whatever reason, this whole Jenrya thing made her very uneasy... "Did he say or do anything when he came home? What made him go out again?"

Terriermon looked progressively more annoyed the more he had to recall the recent events. "He didn't really say a word when he came home," he said. "He went straight to his room and locked the door. It was just me, Lopmon, and his mom at home at this time, and his mom was in the shower. I knew it was pointless trying to pester Jen, so I waited for his mom to get out of the shower so I could let her know what was going on. So about... maybe half an hour later, Jen came out of his room and he had these really funky clothes on that I'm pretty sure I've never even seen in his closet before..."

"Funky clothes?" I asked. "How so?"

"Last thing you'd expect the 'intellectual' type to wear," Terriermon explained casually. "Black full-body spandex, steel-toed combat boots, a really swanky vest..."

"The doppelganger..." We heard Juri say. But when Terriermon and I looked at her, we saw her frowning and using her bare hand to clamp over her puppet's mouth. "S-sorry about that," she apologized, looking embarrassed. "He'll be quiet now."

... Have I ever mentioned how much I can't stand that thing?

"Anyway, yeah," Terriermon continued, unfazed. "He looked like some whacked-up cross between a Matrix fan character and Hard Gay. Totally not his usual style."

Was it bad that Terriermon's descriptions almost made me laugh? Seriously... "Well, that's... uh... he still didn't say anything, huh?"

"Questions about his fashion where the first ones we fired at him, believe me," Terriermon assured, even though that obviously wasn't what I was referring to. Quite the opposite, actually. "Totally blew them off. We did get him to speak up on why he ditched school, but all he said was that he had a relapse... apparently a brief one that lasted about half an hour. We assumed since he came home so late that he didn't miss _all_ of school, but..."

"He did," I reaffirmed. "Every single class. I was the last one who saw him, actually... he hardly said a word to me."

"You... didn't stop him?" Terriermon inquired, cocking an eye at me.

Being constantly reminded that I was powerless to stop him this morning was really dealing a blow to my self-esteem. But we all have to make sacrifices at some point...

"I tried," I clarified. "I honestly did. I didn't want to do anything to hurt or upset him, but he just turned around and walked away. When I followed him, I got held up because my chest started hurting again..."

"That's what Kenta told me," Juri said in a quiet whisper. "Oh... Takato... you had me worried sick all day because of that!"

I paused and looked to her. I didn't see much of Juri today for some reason, so I didn't figure she'd know what happened in the morning. I forgot Kenta shared a couple of classes with her, though... and the way he'd been acting after I told him, I'm sure he would've spread it at some point.

"Juri... I'm so sorry I worried you," I apologized, deeply and honestly as I could muster. I really felt like crap that my stupid physical problems were causing my friends to drown in their worries and paranoia. "It was brief, though; I promise! And I feel totally fine now, so there's no need to dwell on it now. If it happens again, I promise I'll do everything I can to let you know so you can get me some help, okay?"

This was the first time Terriermon heard of it too, obviously. He looked none too pleased himself. "Geez, kid... you're gonna give us all our own heart attacks one day, you know?"

"Well, I'm better now!" I stated, adamant about that. "So tell me, Terriermon. Why did he want to come back outside?"

"Hm... he _claimed_ it was to see you guys so he could 'catch up on his missed homework' for today, but seeing as he ditched me so quickly, I suspect that was a big fib," Terriermon mused, looking a bit more serious now. "So I don't know what he's up to... he was in and out so quickly, and the little costume threw us all off... it's like he's _trying_ to confuse us."

"Yeah, no kidding," I agreed. "Well, by now we've all tried individually to talk to him... only option left is to corner him all together."

"An intervention!" Juri exclaimed. "Maybe _that_ might make him crack under the pressure... much as I dislike the idea of doing that to him..."

I had my business face on. So I was foolishly in love with Jenrya beyond all comprehension... even I could tell myself this was more than some silly love issue. Whatever it really was, though... I was almost scared to find out. But I couldn't let my fear be apparent to my friends; I reflect my own team's morale, after all!

"We tried the nice way at every possible angle by now, Juri," I reminded her. "It's time to get serious. Everything he's been doing lately is not only suspicious, but it's... not consistent with how we identity Jen as a person. He's acted absolutely nothing like himself, and it's time we found out why!" I didn't understand why I was so bold... I just knew I was tired of screwing around and not making any progress with this.

Jenrya was my _best friend_, above all else, and vice-versa... I hoped. If I had to carry our friendship solely on my back to solve this problem, then so be it. And I'd dare whatever's causing our friendship to break apart to bring on whatever it's got, because now, I was gonna be ready for it!

But just then, my mental tangent of glory was cut off by a familiar loud, obtrusive sound I could only identify as the ambulance.

Sure enough, such a vehicle seemed to come out of absolutely _nowhere_ and whizzed right past us, causing all of us to cover our ears in fear of being rendered deaf.

Once it was far away enough to where it wasn't threatening to bust open our eardrums, we looked questioningly at each other.

"Looks like it's headed downtown," Terriermon reported, as he had a much better vantage point than me or Juri by being up on the tree. After a moment he added another observation: "Doesn't look like it's moving anymore, though... so whatever happened must've been nearby. It's a few blocks down, though; I can just barely see the flashing lights."

"You think we should check it out?" I asked innocently.

"Why would you _want_ to?" Juri asked me, horrified. Ah, to be a girl... "It's probably something gruesome, or even dangerous..."

"We'll never know until we see for ourselves!" said the naturally noisy Terriermon. "It's more interesting than wasting our exuberant youth here in a park you're nearly too old for!"

Ugh, was that low blow really necessary? "Thank you for reminding us," I sarcastically replied. But still, my curiosity was naturally aroused... "Still, I wouldn't mind at least giving it a brief look. If we want to corner Jen efficiently, we're gonna need to find Kenta and 'Kazu and everyone else anyway. We might as well start off while there's still kinda daylight..." In a dull gray sort of way, but still.

"Clever excuse," Juri muttered, as she saw right through my pathetic scheming. I just had to fall for smart people, didn't I...? "But what can I do? I'm outnumbered, two to one."

"Thanks for being a good sport!" Terriermon complimented, leaping off the tree and onto Juri's head. "Mind if a hitch a ride?"

Juri just giggled nervously. "Well, since you already made the trip... just don't mess up my hair and don't hassle my Puppet, okay? Can you promise me?"

"Cross my heart and hope to die!" Terriermon proudly proclaimed, paws behind his back. I didn't need to see it to know he was crossing his claws back there.

Still, I shrugged it off. It wasn't like we'd be walking very long to check this situation out. "All right, then. We're off!"

And off we went.

We were too into studying the area to be very chatty on the way over. The lights were becoming brighter and brighter every step we took. Eventually, we could see that there was another ambulance parked next to the one we just saw; it probably came from another route. Situations like this usually mean a monster wreck happened at the four-way intersection.

However, the area seemed to only contain parked cars; very few cars were seen on the road, probably due to the fact that the ambulance was just tearing through the road. Lots of people were crowded up when we got close... and eventually, we realized there was no wreck at all. No scattered auto parts, no pile-up of totaled cars incinerating in a massive bonfire... The focus wasn't on the road at all.

It was on the sidewalk we were walking on. There was a steady, thick circle of people surrounding the scene by the time we got there. We tried to get some kind of bird's eye view, but every angle was cornered completely. What we heard was a little concerning, though...

"Man, oh man... the good always die young, don't they?"

"Who could do such a thing to an innocent child?!"

"Lowest of the low, I'll tell you what! Coward isn't even in sight...!"

"What do you expect? It's stupid to stick around after you abuse a kid to this kind of extent..."

A.. a _kid_? So there was a predator on the loose...

"That doesn't sound good at all!" Juri remarked, fearful of the truth. "But it looks like we're not going to be able to see what exactly happened..."

"That's where you're wrong!" Terriermon bellowed, standing firm. "I'll find out for you guys! Just you wait...!"

I've never seen a Digimon take advantage of his small size as well as Terriermon. He definitely knew how to abuse his gifts. Wouldn't my life have been easier if I had as many perks with Guilmon...?

Anyway, Juri and I patiently waited for our news as Terriermon made stepping stones out of the onlookers' heads. Eventually he vanished from sight... he probably wanted to memorize it all down to the detail. Good old... nosy... Terriermon.

... But he sure did come back quick. My smile faded when I saw a very devastated expression on Terriermon's face; something that you only see on a rare occasion. Not to mention a _bad_ one. He was double-quick about getting back to us, too.

"Y-you guys...! You guys!!" he shouted in panic. "You guys better squeeze your way through quick! This is NO good! No good at _all_!"

My heart felt like it skipped a beat; this feeling of dread gave me some kind of vague deja vu for some reason... "W-what's going on, Terriermon? What did you see?"

"This is serious!" Terriermon insisted, jumping onto me and clinging to my chest. "Go! Right now! The one they're loading up onto the gurney is **Kenta**...!"

Juri's hands went up to cover her mouth in pure horror. I felt the color draining from my face as I let that sink in...

Kenta... oh... oh, god...

"HURRY!" Terriermon hollered, as if he were trying to pull me forward. I tried so hard not to freak out over it now... not until we knew everything! But this was something I needed to be here for. No longer hesitating, I grabbed Juri's hand and started to plow through the wall of people in our way.

They were too caught up in the moment to resist me; no one would _want_ to resist me right now, anyway. No one would ever get between me and my friends...! Especially not when they needed me!

It was horrifying in its own right. There was no blood or gore; thank goodness... but it takes a lot for a scene to be frightening without all that. I could already hear Juri bursting into tears when we came to the front and saw exactly what Terriermon described: a very battered Kenta Kitagawa being loaded up and wheeled to the truck. The area had been taped to keep away the bystanders, but it would take more than that to stop me.

Still holding onto Juri, I cried out as I ran and broke through that pitiful plastic barrier that dared to wall me away from my friend.

"**KENTA!!"**

* * *

( TBC ) 


	11. Unity and Utilities

**( Notes:**

**Well, it's been over a year since the last chapter... but at least it wasn't a four-year gap this time! So the last chapter ended in a cliffhanger... why not have another cliffhanger? We finally achieve a cross-season element in this chapter that'll be greatly expanded upon in future chapters. I've written a lot about this plot element since I came up with it, oh... six years ago. So if you're interested in how some of this is playing out, I've made some personal forums of mine to document my ideas and opinions that should at least clear most of this up. It's quite an action-y chapter, so for those of you who were waiting for that in this emotional mess of a fanfic, enjoy! It's pretty much purely downhill from this point on in terms of how life will be for the Tamers. Isn't that a lovely sight to behold? I hope you enjoy it as much as my sadistic mind does! )  
**

* * *

( POV – Takato )

* * *

I was so scared. Deep down, I knew I couldn't bear the sight of seeing someone I know in such a critical condition. I wasn't made with nerves of steel. My prior accomplishments didn't mean a thing right now. I _didn't_ want to see this.

And yet... my legs kept moving forward, and I brushed past every interception in my way. With Juri and Terriermon in tow, my body refused to stop until I could clearly see the gurney with Kenta on it. He was already strapped in, ready to be loaded into the emergency vehicle.

I gasped out a "Kenta!" in hopes of stirring him when I got close enough, but then I was held back by a much stronger, buffer officer than the one I had just blown past.

"Settle down, kid!" he ordered me, stiff and loud. Yet still… somehow, in control, without outright yelling at me like most men this big would do to alleged punks like me. "This area is **off limits**, okay? Now get yourselves _out _of this crime scene. We've got work to do and don't need outside interference!"

While I was too panicked and intimidated by this guy to utter a clear answer, Juri thankfully covered for me. "Sir, please! We know this boy! He's a close friend of ours!"

I briefly looked to Juri and nodded to her in gratitude. "S-she's right, sir. We need to see if he's okay! Now let us through!" I probably looked so desperate.

The cop looked down at us with sudden interest then. I could tell Terriermon wanted to retell our story and relation to Kenta in his own special way, but even he knew this was no time for an unscheduled surprise.

"You're friends with this kid?" The man asked us, probably for verification.

"Yes, sir," Juri assured. "We share classes with him, and he's part of our group. Please..."

The officer shook his head and cut her off before she could finish. "You can pass. We'll need you two to identify the boy and inform his next of kin. You'll save us a lot of time." He gestured towards the ambulance, which had Kenta fully loaded in and looked to be ready to take off at any moment. "Go with them, and stay with your friend in the hospital until we can come back to you for questioning."

I nodded to him, relieved that this worked out. The way he talked, perhaps Kenta was going to survive after all... "His name is Kenta Kitagawa," I noted, figuring it would be helpful to at least tell the cop the name of the victim.

"Kitagawa, then," the cop noted, jotting it down on a notepad. "Thank you very much. Now get going, alright? The longer you wait, the more risk you're putting your buddy at."

Juri briefly saluted... she's always been a little... eccentric, even at the worst times. "R-right! Let's go, Takato!"

"Yeah," I agreed, and followed her and Terriermon into the ambulance, where Kenta was already stabilized, with constant monitors on his condition. Phew... far as I could tell, at least he wasn't dead.

All of us got our first chance to give Kenta a look-over.

He looked seriously trashed. His clothes were a little torn in various areas, his hair was a mess... no glasses, either. But the most peculiar thing was...

"What's that thing on his forehead?" Terriermon was the first to ask, of course. "Did the bully torture him with a marker while they were taking a break on the wedgies and swirlies?"

It was black... two outlines of circles connected to each other with a line, with a small, full circle inside of the bigger one. Seemed kind of familiar, but at the same time... I dunno, it was totally lost on me. Juri looked just as lost.

"There's no other marks on him that I can see," Juri pointed out. "I wonder... do you think it's okay to touch it?"

"Kids," it was the EMT who was in the back of the ambulance with us, maintaining care of Kenta's status all this time. "Let the doctors handle the diagnosis. You two need to be calling the next of kin, remember?"

"Oh, right, sorry," I apologized. Then I looked to Juri. "You have a cell phone, right?"

"Uh huh," Juri affirmed, holding her pink one out. "How about you?"

"Got it," I said less enthusiastically, as mine was an outdated, limited ugly gray model. "Who gets to call who, then?"

Ah, this is where Juri took charge... "I know Kenta's home phone number, so I'll call for his parents. I think, maybe... you should try calling for our friends. This looks serious, after all. They'll be mad if we don't tell them."

"True that," I agreed. "Well, I can cover Ruki, Hirokazu, and Jen, but... I don't know Ryo's number."

"I've got it," said Juri. For having such a famous guy's number, she seemed awfully cool about it. "I've got the master phone book for our circle, remember? Don't worry; let's just get this out of the way." And just like that, she started dialing for Kenta's parents.

I sighed and looked to my phone... given what had happened earlier, I don't think I was ready to call Jen yet...

"Oh, whoops."

Never a good phrase to come out of this Digimon. "What is it, Terriermon?" I tiredly asked him.

"Eheh... I forgot to give this phone back," he mentioned sheepishly, holding out the camera phone he stole earlier.

Total. Facepalm. "Ugh, Terriermon... you're unbelievable, you know that?"

"You know you love it, baby! You wish you had **my** phone."

"Settle down!" Juri sputtered, totally anxious all of a sudden. Looks like her end was still ringing, waiting to be picked up. "Oh, Terriermon... as long as you have that phone, call some people! This is an emergency, after a- oh, hello, Mrs. Kitagawa! This is Juri Katou..."

"Yes, _do_ call your Tamer, at least," I suggested with a hint of annoyance in my voice. At least this got the arduous task off of me. Looking through my digital phone book, I decided to call Ruki first.

It rung a few times... and appropriately picked up after the third ring.

"Um... hello?"

"Ruki," I said, relieved that I got ahold of her. "This is Takato. Where are you right now?"

"... on my way home, I guess," she responded, sounding about as confused as I expected. It wasn't like I called her very often. "What's going on, Gogglehead?"

This was where I tried my best not to get too frantic... "Uhh... l-long story short, something bad happened to Kenta and he's en route to the hospital right now. Me and Juri and Terriermon are with him. This is kind of an emergency, so can we meet you and Renamon at the hospital, like... ASAP?!"

"W-wait a second, what?! What happened to Kenta?!"

"We'll explain everything when we meet at the hospital!" I assured her. "Just get there as fast as you can, alright? Like I said, this is an **emergency**!"

"Hold on! I-"

I hung up.

Probably a bad idea to hang up on _Ruki_ of all people...

But this was an emergency.

Next, I called Hirokazu. As always, he was quick to pick up.

"Y'ello?" Laid-back as ever, I noticed.

"'Kazu, it's me," I said, not needing to say my name. "Where are you right now?"

"Off on another wild and crazy adventure," he casually replied. "And you?"

I frowned, not wanting to kill time with him. "I'm in an ambulance, 'Kazu. With Juri and Terriermon. We found Kenta with the snot beat out of him, and he's being transferred to the Tokyo Kosei Nenkin Hospital, alright? Will you meet us there?"

"WHAT?!" Hirokazu sounded... really outraged. "The hell...?! Who did it?! Why I oughta..."

All of a sudden his voice cut off, just as I was about to scold him. "'Kazu...? Hey, did I lose you?"

"Huh... same phone call, right? Well, I'll be..."

Oh, good. "Hey, 'Kazu, what's going on?" I asked, kind of impatiently.

"Uh, well... long story short, I'm with Ruki right now! She's got me by the arm and she's going like the speed of light, can you believe that? She didn't care to tell me why until now... So I get what's going on, Takato. We'll be there soon!"

And he hung up. I blinked a couple of times, processing that. What were Ruki and Hirokazu doing together...?

"Jen's on his way!" Terriermon reported, rather energetically.

Juri nodded, putting her phone away. "The Kitagawas and Ryo are coming, too. Now we just have to make sure everything's going to be alright with Kenta..."

She looked over to him... he was still as pale, stiff, and out of it as always. I followed her gaze, but my eyes eventually made their way back to her.

Something beyond my control... started to kick in, and...

I found myself... holding both of Juri's hands with my own. With tenderness... and care... I gave them a light squeeze.

"It's going to be alright, Juri," I promised, closing my eyes. "I swear... we're gonna make all this right again..."

This was completely incomprehensible... even Terriermon seemed speechless. And Juri... I had my eyes closed and couldn't see, but I could just picture Juri... looking at me, with her big brown eyes...

I could envision that smile returning to me. And to that, I gave a smile of my own.

"Takato," she said, softened and seemingly calmed down, finally. "I hope you're right... so I believe in you."

Never, so badly, have I ever wanted to tell her that I loved her... more than I did right at this moment.

Regardless of that, however...

I still couldn't do it.

Why?

* * *

( POV – Nobody )

* * *

The doctors and nurses and medical technicians worked quickly to transport Kenta into a room where he could be stabilized with more capable equipment. There he lay, fully hooked in to an IV. His physical condition didn't seem to change much, though he was at least still breathing. Still, certain matters remained a mystery to the doctors and Tamers alike.

"This is like some really cheap knock-off of a horror movie," Takato noted. He was increasingly growing nervous, just being in a hospital. "Only... only no one's dead yet... but normally that's just designed to get your guard down..."

"Takato!" Juri was not pleased. "This isn't a movie; it's _real life_! You promised it was all going to work okay." And her Puppet chipped in, "Stop being so hypocritical, you hypocrite! Arf!"

She clearly meant business when her Puppet got involved. Takato soon learned his place and bowed his head. "Sorry for spouting off stupid crap, Juri. I'm just... freaking out, I guess."

"What?" Juri inquired, clearly curious. "Kenta's stabilized. We can rest for a bit now that we've got him here."

"Maybe _you_ can..." Takato mumbled, looking around in all directions of the room. "This place in general gives me the creeps, you know?"

This detail stuck out to Juri. "Takato... are you afraid of hospitals...?"

"Can you not say that out loud?!" Takato pleaded, hands covering his stomach. "Between Kenta and this... I'm gonna get sick again..."

"Maybe I'd better get a nurse for you," Juri considered, worried. "We can't risk you relapsing at any time, especially considering your heart condition..."

"Oh, no no no!" Takato declined, raising his voice. "I am _perfectly_ fine! I'm going to rough it and deal, just as a man should. Besides that, I'd make myself sicker for not being able to check up on Kenta!"

Juri smiled. "You're truly a loyal friend, Takato."

Just then, Terriermon came bounding in, looking as if he owned the place. "Look who I found...!"

In stepped Antijen, the new Jenrya unbeknownst to all. Naturally, despite his questionable outfit, he looked completely oblivious and innocent. "So Kenta really _did_ get severely assaulted... h-how is he?"

His appearance drew silent stares from Takato and Juri. Juri realized sooner than Takato that it was a rude gesture, and nervously recomposed herself. "A-ah, Jenrya... he... Kenta... s-seems to be fine for the moment!"

"So, you came after all..." Takato quietly muttered, though he hadn't meant it to be heard by anyone else. As Antijen walked closer to inspect Kenta himself, he gave Takato somewhat of an agitated look. Regardless of Takato's subtlety, Antijen was quick to pick it up.

"Of course I came," he told Takato, as if he were crazy to suggest otherwise. In normal circumstances, perhaps so... "Terriermon said it was an emergency. What exactly were you suggesting?"

Takato _did_ quickly pick up on the fact that this Jenrya was not like the one from earlier in the morning; the Jenrya who could barely look him in the face, much less speak with such certainty. Nonetheless, this wasn't the time nor the place to pick Jenrya apart, so Takato bowed his head.

"I'm sorry; didn't mean to come off as offensive," Takato apologized, softly as he could. "So, how much did Terriermon tell you?"

"As much as you're supposed to tell someone when you order 'em to drop everything you're doing and hightail it to the hospital," Terriermon answered for his partner, without even being asked to, of course. "Bare bones details. Not like we know much more than that already, right?"

Antijen narrowed his eyes at Terriermon, but ultimately nodded in agreement. "Quite. That said, are there any details worth mentioning?"

"None of us walked home with him after school," Juri explained. "So we didn't see who did this to him and how it happened to him..."

"Is it really that hard to guess _how_ it happened to him?" Terriermon interrupted. "The guy got creamed! Just how many ways are there to beat people up that'd hold any kind of relevance?"

Antijen gave one of his (or rather, the _original _Jenrya's) signature disciplinary knocks to the head to his gabby Digimon. "Terriermon!"

"I guess he makes a valid point," Juri considered, as her eyes trailed back to Kenta. "It's easier to say we don't know anything about the situation; he was just found unconscious on the street like this... Takato, Terriermon and I just happened to be passing through the area and we hitched a ride to the hospital so we could get everyone here and keep company with Kenta. Though... there is a strange mystery we need to solve..."

"What's that?" Antijen inquired, moving in closer to look at Kenta, and blinking when he saw the black mark on his so-called friend's forehead, just where he left it earlier. "Oh wait, I see it now. Weird... didn't you clean it off?"

Takato shrugged. "It wouldn't wipe off, no matter how hard you scrub it. It seems permanent, but..."

Juri looked peculiar as she imagined various hypotheses... "Kenta's the last person I could ever see getting a tattoo, and even then, on his _forehead_?"

"It doesn't mesh time-wise, either," Takato noted. "His forehead was clean throughout school, and even if he had gotten one right after it let out, if I recall right, you have to wear some protective bandages over it for a few days before it sets in."

Antijen nodded. "This is true. That's even ignoring the fact that he's too young for that sort of thing, anyway. It looks like something we'll need the whole group for to figure it out... because it's already got me stumped."

Takato frowned, looking worriedly down at Kenta. "Well, that's never a good sign."

"TAKATO MATSUDA!" It was time for the boy to endure the wrath of the last person he should've hung the phone up on.

"Ah, Ruki!" Juri welcomed graciously. "And Hirokazu, too! Great, we're all gathering together quickly..."

Ruki stood at the doorway, practically dry-heaving for the length which she had to run non-stop, carrying dead weight in a mildly distraught Hirokazu, who, after a while, was not enjoying the duration of being dragged and being forced to keep up with the girl at the same time, as his recent injury made the idea of just skidding across the pavement in Ruki's wake even less inviting than it already was.

She reserved a death glare specially made for Takato, who quickly wanted to find a hiding place, except for the fact that hospitals intimidated him about as much as Ruki did. Without warning, she dropped Hirokazu to the floor (and a sharp cry was heard afterward, as Hirokazu landed approximately on the wrong spot) and stomped towards the rest of the group. Takato, Jenrya, Juri, and Terriermon were just then noticing how both newcomers looked rather worse for wear.

"Next time there's an emergency, Gogglehead, I just have the _smallest_ suggestion for you that I'd _really_ like you to consider," Ruki said through her clenched teeth.

"Uh... what's that?" Takato asked, his voice shaking. He officially took cover behind Juri, knowing she was literally the best Ruki shield for any occasion.

"If you wouldn't mind, Takato... how about telling me which hospital you're going to next time?! Do you realize how many hospitals there are in the area?!" Ruki promptly held up a hand, with all her fingers extended. "A _lot_! I care enough for a friend to go running all through Tokyo to find the right hospital, but let me tell _you_ something: the person who makes me go **through** that may be the _next_ one in the infirmary! Got it?!"

Antijen seemed more amused than afraid, compared to everyone else. "Tell me if I'm crossing the line, but I'm assuming your appearance and that _stench_ plays into your foul mood at the moment."

Before Ruki could answer, everyone else in the room promptly held their noses and groaned as the scent of sewer-traveling infiltrated the once-sanitary room.

"This hospital was doing a good enough job making me nauseous by itself! What IS that?!" wondered Takato, coughing as the scent was quick to invade his mouth whenever it opened.

Ruki turned red in the face, but whether it was from sheer anger, embarrassment, or both, was not clear because not long after the rest of the visitors got a whiff of the smell, the rest of the crew, being the Kitagawa family, Ryo, and the doctor personally working with Kenta entered the room. Kenta's mother, Akemi, had brought MarineAngemon along as well.

"Here he is," the doctor informed his guests. "We have him stabilized right now, but it seems he hasn't yet regained consciousness."

"Kenta!!" Akemi cried as she rushed over towards her son; her husband, Shunsuke, was not far behind. "How could this happen to you...? What has this world come to?!"

"It's certainly a dangerous world," remarked the doctor, stiffly following the adults. "He must have suffered quite a beating to be in this shape... he was found over an hour ago, but still hasn't moved an inch since then."

Shunsuke grimly nodded as he comforted his wife; all the while he studied his son's condition more. "It looks like a whole gang of kids got to him... has there been any word of who did this?"

"Not at all; the police are still investigating the scene," the doctor reported, solemn and still. "There are some details that make this a rather... strange case, however. Roughed up as your son was, we found no bumps or bruises outside of whatever formed as a result of the impact from landing harshly on the cement. Whoever accosted him must have had a weapon of some sort; the tears on his clothing and the cuts on his skin don't seem likely to have been done by hand."

"That would rule fingerprinting out," Ryo noted with a nod. "What _I'm_ curious about is the-..." He paused, sniffed around a bit, and coughed. "Holy..."

That's when the newcomers became aware of the eye-watering stink that had saturated the room.

"What on earth?!" The doctor spun around, trying to find the source of the smell. Takato, Juri, Terriermon, and Antijen all pointed to Ruki and Hirokazu, who were still quite a bit of ways from the others, still obviously soaked in sewer water. "Who let you through?! These rooms are sterilized for a _reason_!"

Ruki rolled her eyes and groaned. "Look, it's a long story. Takato called and said we had to get here **right now**, no exceptions, so we didn't exactly have time to go take a shower!"

"It was an emergency, after all!" Hirokazu piped up.

"Shut up, 'Kazu," Ruki muttered.

"What _happened_ to you guys?" Takato asked, almost afraid of what the answer would be. "Did you fall in a sewer or what?"

Hirokazu nodded and grinned, still undeterred from Ruki's scolding. "Hit the nail right on the head, my man!"

Everyone else gasped, perhaps not expecting the metaphors to end up literal. "How in the world did that happen?" Juri asked, looking especially horrified.

"They can tell you _later_," the doctor interrupted, leading Hirokazu and Ruki away from the room. "After they get themselves sanitized. The last thing we need is bacterial infection from the sewers. Nurse?"

Almost instantly, a nurse turned up at the scene. "Yes, doctor?"

"Take these two children; make sure they are cleaned _thoroughly_ before they step foot into this or any other room in this hospital, understand?" The doctor sounded more serious about this than anything else so far.

The nurse got a quick glance at Hirokazu and Ruki, and quickly realized the stench. Wincing, she nodded to the doctor as she scurried them off to the nearest shower. "At once, sir! Come along, now..."

Takato waved nervously, as he felt he had dodged yet another Ruki Rage Bullet. "See you later then, guys…"

Begrudgingly, Ruki followed the nurse and didn't bother dignifying Takato's farewell with an acknowledgement. Hirokazu, on the other hand, waved back and winked as he made his way out. "No worries, we'll be back soon! How long could it possibly take to wash out sewer water, anyway?"

Immediately after Ruki and Hirokazu were escorted out, the doctor shut the door and proceeded to cover the room in scented spray to eliminate the order, and disinfectant to kill whatever germs the two had brought with them from the sewer.

"Having dealt with that now, I would like you two," the doctor pointed at Takato and Juri specifically. "To run the entire situation from the top for the Kitagawas' benefit. Don't spare any details; any little thing could be crucial to Kenta's recovery."

Takato and Juri looked to each other nervously and shrugged. "I think you covered everything we know already," said Takato. "But if you want an order of events and weird stuff we noticed about Kenta since this morning, we can do that, I guess. Right, Juri?"

Juri nodded in agreement. The doctor nodded to show his approval. "Please, anything at all will enable us to have an accurate diagnosis for Kenta."

"Well, then. It started earlier in class today, when Kenta started getting these really bad headaches…"

* * *

( POV – Ruki )

* * *

"This is _stupid_," I grumbled. Even the sensational feeling of running warm water over my entire being could not calm me down. "Running all over the city because Takato's completely inept with giving directions… falling into a sewer because of _your_ stupidity, 'Kazu… having to deal with the embarrassment of looking like literal garbage in a hospital and being sent here… to a unisex communal bathroom?! What kind of hospital is this, and what did I do to deserve this kind of punishment?!"

"Hey, it could be worse!" Hirokazu chirped back, in much brighter spirits than me. "At least we've got this wall separating us so you can have your privacy. I mean, needless to say I could do with or without, but maaaan, if this place didn't have a solid wall between the shower stalls, I probably wouldn't be alive right now, eh?"

I answered Hirokazu with a louder, deeper growl from the other end. The way my voice bounced against the small bathroom and created the echoing effect made it sound even worse than it would normally. "Listen, Ruki, I'm sorry about what happened, alright? You know I wouldn't send you careening down a manhole on purpose, right?"

"Just like how I wouldn't send my fist flying into your face on purpose, except that my fist tends to have a mind of its own at times," I retorted, scoffing. "If I don't hit you, who will? _Somone's_ got to knock that defunct brain of yours into the right place before you really do kill yourself. And over everyone else, it looks like the only person willing to resort to that is me. Seriously, 'Kazu. After everything we've been through… and you still make wisecracks about my body while you have a bumped tailbone! Which, by the way, you ought to get checked out while you're here just in case you cracked it or something."

"Oh god," is what I heard, in a horrified tone. Looks like I inadvertently scared him a bit. "Cracked?! I'll never be able to sit down ever again!!"

I rolled my eyes and continued washing my own scum away. "Calm down, already. I was just exaggerating. You're not that bad off. Besides, we're here for Kenta; don't forget that."

"I would never forget that!" he shouted back, probably a bit louder than he should. Last thing I wanted was hospital staff barging into the bathroom to complain about the noise. "Man, whoever beat him up is lucky I wasn't anywhere near the place when it happened! I would've ripped the bastard in two; people who mess with my friends won't escape from me for long! Just you wait, Ruki. I'll get 'im."

"Big talk for a guy who doesn't even know who attacked Kenta," I remarked. "The perpetrator could be a six-foot tall muscleman who could easily beat the crap out of you, 'Kazu. Would you be so eager to avenge Kenta if that were the case? I don't _think_ so."

"Like hell!" … I realized that maybe I shouldn't agitate him. The more I did it, the louder and angrier he got. "I don't care if the perp is our age or way bigger than us or even the return of the D-Reaper itself! Which is unlikely, but… point is, nothin's gonna stop me from beating the dude's face in when we find out who creamed Kenta. And we're _totally_ gonna find him. Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but…!"

This was getting aggravating; it was like the sewer incident all over again. At least this was for more than Ryo's stupid _phone number_, but still… 'Kazu was acting way beyond irrational, and he was only going to get himself hurt again if he started looking for trouble. I didn't want him to start making a habit of this… for… whatever reason. "Alright, seriously, 'Kazu. Use the soap, not the soap_box_. No one's going to give a care for your noble avenging of your ex-boyfriend if you still smell like the sewers."

"I'm perfectly capable of multitasking, sweetheart!" He said, and that was a bit too casual for my tastes. "Besides, I'm a guy. It's a given that I'll finish before you."

I couldn't believe he just said that to me. As if I was like… every other girl who takes a shower…!

"Ooooh! You'd better not get out before me!" I warned, now putting in more of an effort to finish cleaning myself. "You can at least trust that I won't sneak peeks of your naked butt if you come out after me. We can't exactly say the same for the reverse situation."

"Having that to gain just inspires me to work faster!" Hirokazu announced, and it did sound like he was scrubbing faster. I froze for a moment when I heard him turning his water off. "And just like that… I win."

He was _not_ getting off that easily. It was a good thing most of the soap and shampoo was rinsed out by this point, because I was quick to turn off my own water, quickly wring out my hair, and rush out of my stall in order to get my robe on. "You're not getting off that easily…!!"

In hindsight, it was stupid of me to act on impulse like that.

At the same time, we dashed out of our stalls. And hearing each other rush out, we naturally looked over to each other. So we…

We actually saw each other naked.

But… well, it might sound crazy, but there was something on 'Kazu's body that was far more noteworthy than his junk. N-not that I looked at it or anything…

It stood out enough to not even warrant that period of awkward silence that naturally comes from two adversaries suddenly seeing each other in the nude. "Ah! 'Kazu, your chest…!"

"Ruki, your… … breast!"

Pity he didn't return the favor because I planned to pay him back for it later, but in the tenseness of the situation, I didn't stop to think that maybe 'Kazu was pranking me and looked down at my own chest at the same time Hirokazu looked down to what I pointed out.

There was a strange… blue symbol sitting right on the right side of my bosom. He was telling the truth all along… it was a wonder why I didn't notice it while I was bathing. But Hirokazu was quick to gasp when he too saw what I pointed out to him – another symbol that really looked nothing like mine and was orange in color rather than blue.

"What the _hell_…"

This was too much to delay further with the awkward nudity. I looked back up to 'Kazu's face sternly. "Get dressed. We need to see a doctor right now!"

"Definitely feeling that one!" Hirokazu concurred, getting decent in a flash. "Let's go, let's go!!"

It was nice to get him to listen to me promptly, for once. I followed suit. "Right. Come on."

I didn't know what was going on, but we needed answers. Between this and Kenta, it was a miracle we didn't completely lose our minds.

* * *

( POV – Nobody )

* * *

"It's a pity you didn't see what actually happened," the doctor told Takato and Juri after they had finished their testimony. "That would have been valuable information… at the same time, it's fortunate that you found him before he was taken away. You saved us and Kenta's parents a lot of time."

Akemi nodded in agreement. "It must have been scary, kids, but we appreciate your acting quickly. We would have worried ourselves sick at this hour, not knowing where Kenta had gone."

Shunsuke looked to his son, full of concern. "So he was found in front of the pharmacy… that's a bit out of the way from school _and_ home," he noted. "I remember him complaining about headaches just the other night ago. Right, dear?"

His wife nodded again. "He's been taking naps after school lately, which is very unlike him… and he's been more irritable than usual. Kenta actually said he was worried about some of you at dinner once," she said, looking at Takato in particular. "And that mark on his forehead won't go away… you don't suppose that's a sign of some sort of… rare migraine or disease, do you?!"

"There's nothing documented that matches these symptoms," the doctor said. "But no migraine would render him in this sort of condition. Someone obviously attacked him. If he had been suffering from headaches before this, it's possible he was on his way to purchase some aspirin."

"I agree," said Shunsuke. "I recently gave him his allowance money. He was probably going to use it to buy medications, but he should have just told us to do it, honestly…"

Takato sighed, as he felt horrible about the minor spat he had with Kenta earlier today. "Kenta's… had a lot on his mind. He's been so worried about us that he's hardly thought about taking care of himself. I just brushed him away when he tried to give me advice at school today… and I think I made him mad. If I didn't alienate him, I probably would've walked with him today and could've done something about this!"

"No, don't blame yourself," Juri said, consoling her friend. "I've been just as bad. Ever since the festival, our group has been… somewhat broken."

"Then it's time we reunite," Ryo concluded; full of determination. "Because this is no ordinary incident, and I think we can all agree with that."

The others nodded in unison.

Takato quickly looked apprehensive, though. "Are you sure you can commit to that, Ryo? We'd hate to tear you out of your own group of peers just for our sake. We know how busy you are…"

Ryo shook his head. "Regardless of age barriers, I'm a Digimon Tamer just like the rest of you. When we have unnatural phenomena to deal with, I should get involved. I haven't been the most reliable guy in the past, but I promise you I'm going to be better about hanging out with you guys and being there when I'm needed."

Juri was nearly speechless. "Ryo…"

Terriermon smirked. "C'mon, guys. It's Ryo! He's comfortable enough with himself to be willing to hang out with a bunch of kids! He's got nothin' to lose!"

"You're truly a good friend," Akemi told Ryo with a smile. "It's a wonder why Kenta doesn't talk about you more. He's- oh…!" Suddenly, MarineAngemon was struggling to squeeze out of Akemi's grip. "MarineAngemon, what's wrong…?!"

"Pi pi po!" He squeaked in his limited language. "Pu pa piii!" He seemed to be determined to see Kenta up-close and personal.

"Dear, you should let him go," Shunsuke advised. "He's Kenta's partner. He may be able to see something in Kenta that we can't."

Akemi was unsure of this, but released MarineAngemon onto the bed where Kenta lied. "Go on then, sweetie. The poor thing must be just as devastated as we are…"

The doctor just silently observed this, only muttering "So even this is a Digimon… so small…"

The others stared at MarineAngemon as he made his way to Kenta's face. He leaned in close, getting a good look at the strange symbol on Kenta's forehead. The relatively quiet Antijen's eyes snapped open as he realized that MarineAngemon seemed to know how to revive his partner. He so badly wanted to stop him, but knew he couldn't in front of everyone. He settled into a grumpy disposition eventually, continuing to ignore the true Jenrya's pleas to be set free.

"He's looking at that symbol," Takato stated, looking curious. "You know, there's something familiar about it… maybe he knows…"

Ryo also monitored Kenta's Digimon's actions closely. "You're right, Takato. I think I have an idea… but let's see what MarineAngemon's plan is first."

MarineAngemon looked around at the others just in, spreading his tiny wings as if he was to prepare a speech to them all. "Pi pi po-… po-pu!"

Juri was confused. "What did he say?" She asked out loud with her puppet.

Antijen just shook his head. "Only Kenta can understand him. It's no use."

Shunsuke scratched his head. "He knows MarineAngemon's language? You know, that's always puzzled me… I just thought Kenta was talking to himself, really. I didn't think he actually understood his Digimon's words…"

"… Knows his language…" Ryo repeated slowly. He pulled out a deck of Digimon cards from his pocket and started shuffling through them. "It couldn't be…"

Takato noticed Ryo's murmuring and looked to him. "Ryo…?"

"Look!" shouted Akemi, pointing to MarineAngemon, who had turned back to face Kenta. The others followed Akemi's gesture and saw MarineAngemon holding in his breath, preparing for something.

"PU!" MarineAngemon said, blowing glittery, blue hearts at Kenta's face. "Paaaa-PU!"

"What's he doing?!" The doctor shouted out, prepared to remove the small Digimon from the premises. Juri and Takato were quick to block him.

"WAIT!" Juri shouted out, looking back at what was happening.

"That's MarineAngemon's special ability; Kahuna Waves!" Takato explained in haste, also glancing back at what the Digimon was doing. "I've seen him do it before when the D-Reaper attacked the city two years ago. It can damage enemies, but it also heals allies and… from the looks of things, I think MarineAngemon's trying to purify Kenta!"

"Pu, pu, pu!" MarineAngemon wailed as he continued to shower Kenta in Kahuna Wave hearts.

Ryo pulled out a MarineAngemon card and nodded. "Takato's absolutely right. MarineAngemon must think that Kenta's been cursed." He went back to shuffling his deck, apparently trying to look for another card.

With his hand rested over his chin, Antijen quietly looked over what was happening. "A curse…" he said, humming lowly. Very briefly, he flashed a horrified look as MarineAngemon managed to make a significant change: with his healing abilities, he managed to change the symbol on Kenta's forehead. The symbol did not disappear, much to Antijen's chagrin, but it returned to its former state before Antijen knocked the boy out: shining a brilliant violet light rather than being dimmed out and black. Everyone in the room gasped at the sight.

"Wh-why did it change color just now…?" Juri asked. "That… that isn't supposed to be there, is it…?"

Kenta then grunted quietly, as if he was fighting within himself to regain consciousness. MarineAngemon eventually petered out; exhausted. He had gotten rid of the curse on the symbol, but could not wake his partner up. Helplessly, he looked to the others; the look on his face seemed to be begging for support.

"Looks like we're almost there!" Terriermon pointed out. "But MarineAngemon's out of energy. What's he want with us, though? It's not like we can heal him."

MarineAngemon quickly shook his head, trying to imply that Terriermon was wrong. If only they could understand him…

"MarineAngemon, I believe in you!" Juri shouted out, with tears in her eyes. "You can't give up hope now! We're all counting on you! If it's a curse, you have to exorcise it! You just have to!" She held her hands together and closed her eyes, as tears continued to spill out. "I… I always hoped Kenta would break out of his shell one day and reach his true potential… and he did. Please don't let his life end here now…!"

Suddenly, Juri was surrounded by an aura; pure yellow in color. Antijen looked horrified at this, but the others seemed too invested in MarineAngemon's success to notice. The symbol that once appeared on Juri's hand not long ago had appeared once again.

"Kenta, you've gotta wake up!" Takato pleaded. "MarineAngemon, you can't give in now! He's your partner! Your family! You can't let his friends down… his parents down… we all love him! And I hope he loves himself enough to know he has to come back to us!" Takato felt his chest grow tight – a familiar sign. But he ignored it as he too was overcome with an aura; a red one. No symbol could be seen on him, but there was a distinct shining coming from under his shirt. Takato cried as well as he begged to MarineAngemon. "I don't know how I can help him overcome a curse, MarineAngemon… but Kenta's my friend! He's been my friend since I was little, and I can't let him go like this! I have to apologize for how I treated him today…! Kenta, I'm so sorry… for everything we've been through, you and the others are like family to me!"

Takato slumped towards the bed, looking to MarineAngemon with leaking, bloodshot eyes. "I'll do whatever it takes… just let me know what, MarineAngemon. And let Kenta know… that I love him. Juri loves him. Jen, 'Kazu, Ruki, and Ryo love him… and his parents love him. And you love him too! Let him know he's loved…!"

Ryo finally pulled out the card he wanted, looked at it hard, and then at Kenta. He noticed the glowing Takato and Juri, but did not comment on it out loud. He looked straight at MarineAngemon. "If you need our help, then count me in. I might've not been the closest friend to him, but I'm going to change that from now on. Know he's cared for… and know he's got a shoulder to lean on if he needs one," he said with a grin. Now Ryo was covered in an aura, but this one was colored gray. "What's past is past… I'm here now. Let's save Kenta! Kenta, you know you can do it, too! You know you don't need our help… but we're gonna prove it to you, how important you are to us!"

No visible sign appeared on Ryo, but something was shining under his coat near his shoulder.

Antijen couldn't believe it. All of them were awakening without their knowledge, just to save Kenta's life. He found it ludicrous, corny… and detrimental to his own plans. But in that moment of weakness, something broke out. Jenrya had finally found the opening he was looking for. Everyone was too caught up in the moment to notice, but in a flash, the appearance of Antijen changed back to that of the regular Jenrya. The facial gestures were now Jenrya's… Antijen was put back on the inside.

"Kenta…" he whispered. "I have to admit… I'm a little… no, _really_ jealous of you…" He swallowed, closing his eyes with the most honest of tears pouring down his face. Now Terriermon was paying attention to his partner, looking concerned, but for once, silent.

"But… it doesn't mean I want you to die!" Jenrya cried out. "MarineAngemon, do whatever is necessary! Please bring back Kenta…!"

Like the others, Jenrya gave off a colored aura of green. And like Juri, it was similar to the situation they had together… and promised to never tell the others about. A symbol did show on him; the same symbol as last time: a tear drop, glowing on his cheek underneath his tears of sincerity.

The others in the room froze as the colored auras intensified and poured into the tired MarineAngemon. The little Digimon suddenly felt a steady flow of power washing all over his body, waiting to be utilized. Revitalized, the pixie Digimon smiled with a "Pa…!"

He turned to Kenta, breathed in deeply, and howled the loudest "PU!!" he ever managed. He blew out a large, sparkling heart… this one was not blue, but rather multicolored; representing the power of everyone who helped restore MarineAngemon's energy.

Kenta's entire body began to glow slightly as the energy was transferred to him. His symbol on his forehead shined brighter than ever, and in a flash, everything faded away to normal. Instantly, Kenta's eyes snapped open. He woke up to MarineAngemon smiling over him, with the others standing nearby, watching him intently. Due to Kenta's naturally poor vision, however, everything was still a blur.

"Mmn… guys…?"

Kenta's mother could no longer hold it in. She burst into tears and embraced her son, completely forgetting that she nearly squashed MarineAngemon in the process. The little Digimon managed to squeeze itself out of the trap, and everyone smiled in relief when they realized their efforts were not in vain.

"Kenta, we worried about you so much…" Juri told him, wiping her eyes and smiling.

"We're so glad to have you back, buddy," Takato assured, also wiping his eyes and seemingly couldn't be happier than he was now. "You… really gave us a scare, there."

Kenta blinked as he gently urged Akemi to ease off on him as he sat up, looking around at his surroundings. He was slightly disturbed that he could not remember how or why he got himself into a hospital. The last thing he remembered was being on the way to the pharmacy after school…

"I… did? What happened?" he asked everyone, looking completely clueless.

"You mean you don't remember?" Ryo inquired, finding it strange that Kenta of all people wouldn't know how he ended up this way. "Takato and Juri here found you on the street unconscious and really roughed up."

"I was?!" Kenta sounded horrified. "No way… all I remember is going to the pharmacy to get some aspirin for my headaches, and-… ah, come to think of it, I feel a little feverish. Or is it just hot in here?"

The doctor shook his head stiffly, as he was rather disturbed by the things he had just seen. "I think I know what's causing that. Here." He gave Kenta a mirror.

"What the?!" Kenta was in shock when he found a still-glowing symbol on his forehead. "What is that thing?!"

"Here, dear," Akemi said in a soft voice, putting a new pair of glasses on her son. "You lost your glasses in the fight, and…"

Kenta's expressions did not change. "Clearing things up doesn't make this any less weird, mom!!"

"I know what it is now," Ryo said, calmly and sternly. "It's all coming together… and it's a wonder we never came across this sooner, but…" He revealed the card he was looking for to everybody. The card bore the same symbol that was on Kenta's head.

Juri gasped, clearly shocked. "It can't be! But… it does look exactly like…"

"… The Crest of Knowledge," Takato finished for her. "But that's… that was an element on the TV series, right? That was fictional stuff. It never happened when we were fighting enemy Digimon two years ago. It's just now popping up…?"

Ryo sighed. "I don't know why it was this delayed either… but this just cements the fact that Kenta is a chosen child, just like we are. You know what that means…"

Takato's expressions became stiffened and serious. "The rest of us… have crests, too?"

"Right," Ryo said with a nod. "Juri, look at your hand. Jenrya, borrow the mirror for a moment."

Both reluctantly did as Ryo instructed, and were shocked to find similar symbols on themselves, also glowing. Takato looked at them both finding their crests, and was beyond amazed at the phenomenon. "Juri, you have Hope…! And Jen is… Sincerity…?"

Jenrya frowned. "This… doesn't make any sense at all. I mean, this entire situation doesn't make any sense to begin with, but… why do I have Sincerity?"

"No kidding!" commented Terriermon. "You're the most reclusive guy I know! Only time you're brimming with sincerity is when you wanna stand on the soapbox and preach to everyone else."

"Who asked you?" Jenrya angrily snapped back, before looking to Kenta. "I just don't get it … why Kenta of all people has… _Knowledge_."

Kenta frowned, lightly poking the symbol on his forehead. "I hope that's not a slight at my intelligence, Jen. You know I've changed since the D-Reaper was around. My grades are almost as good as yours now."

"W-well, no, of course not!" Jenrya claimed, looking flustered. "It's just… I've been the go-to guy for information since the beginning… I thought it was a given that it would… you know… come to me."

Takato looked slightly confused himself. "That's a good point, actually… it would've been natural, but… there must be more to it. I mean, if I recall right, not everyone agreed with the crest they were assigned to in the TV show… and we couldn't have just gotten these at random, wherever they came from."

"Where they came from is a good question that I don't really have an answer for yet," Ryo admitted. "I don't suppose either of you have a theory, do you?" He looked specifically to Jenrya and Kenta.

"Not really," Kenta admitted, scratching his head. "But hey, I just woke up from a weird coma…"

"Yeah, give us some time to think about it," Jenrya concurred. "But if being a Tamer means bearing a crest… where's _yours_, Ryo?"

"I don't see one on Takato, either…" Juri noted. "But you two were able to help MarineAngemon all the same, weren't you?"

Ryo nodded. "Notice how the crests aren't in the same location for the three of you? Takato and I must have ours under our clothes. I'm feeling that burning sensation like Kenta's on my shoulder in particular… Takato, what about you?"

"Come to think of it…" Takato said lightly, as he slumped down and took a deep breath. "My chest… again…"

"T-Takato..!" Juri screamed. "The heart attack symptoms…!"

"Juri, take his shirt off," Ryo ordered quickly. "Now!"

Juri stuttered a bit, blushing slightly at the order, but quickly took off Takato's shirt to reveal a shining red symbol on the left side of his chest. It vaguely resembled a heart. Takato, feeling the cool air surround him after being de-clothed, started to calm down.

"Takato's got the Crest of Love…" Kenta acknowledged. "Actually, that's fitting for him, but… don't most leaders get the Crest of Courage?"

Ryo blinked; Kenta had a point. "You're right; that's true. Takato's broken the mold. So that leaves Courage, Friendship, Reliability, Light, and Kindness…"

"So go on and strip for us, Ryo-boy!" Terriermon shouted out. "Pity Ruki and Hirokazu aren't here to see it!"

Jenrya knocked Terriermon on the head. "Stop." He looked to Ryo. "You said your shoulder, right?"

"Yeah… my shoulder…" Ryo muttered as he took off his coat, then his gray shirt underneath. He turned around and started feeling for it, but the others shouted out as they were able to see the symbol quite easily.

"There it is, Ryo!" Juri called out, pointing. "It _is_ on your shoulder! It looks like Reliability!"

"Reliability, huh?" Ryo said, smirking. "I had a feeling…"

Kenta rubbed his head, groaning. "This is way too much to take in after just waking up… but, um… where's Ruki and Hirokazu? Couldn't they make it?"

"They made it," Juri affirmed. "But they fell into a sewer earlier today and didn't have a chance to clean up before we called them about you. They were sent to the showers about twenty minutes ago."

"Ruki and 'Kazu…" Takato mumbled to himself. He then looked to the others with concern. "We've all got these Crests… you think that means they have one, too?"

Terriermon shook his head, though not necessarily in response to Takato's question. "Looks like they both missed out on the big moment. It must take some effort to get those Crests to show up, don't you think?"

"That doesn't mean they don't have them, though," Jenrya said. "They're Tamers; they must have them." He looked down with an intense frown. "We can only guess what this means for us. In the TV show, it helped the Digimon evolve… but most of us have gotten our partners to their highest levels already. And if Takato's Crest of Love is what's causing his heart problems…"

Takato's eyes widened, only just then realizing the plausibility of that being the case. "S-seriously?! Crests were supposed to help us out, right? Why is mine trying to kill me, then?!"

Juri looked extremely concerned, placing her hand on Takato's shoulder. "How are you feeling, Takato? You should probably lie down…"

"A-actually, I feel fine right now…", Takato mumbled, fighting off his urges to blush. "Once I got my shirt off and became aware of this… it's weird, really."

Kenta looked up towards his forehead, still feeling the warm, glowing symbol emblazoned over it. "The crest _is_ right over where his heart is supposed to be… and mine's right on my head. You think maybe it would have some kind of relation to the headaches I've been getting lately?"

Ryo's eyes widened. "Nice catch, Kenta," he complimented. "That makes more sense than any theory we could think of, really. I mean, it's pretty clear that these Crests, no matter how much they resemble the ones from the TV show, don't function the way we'd expect them to."

Jenrya nodded, solemnly. "I can't imagine why these are showing up on us, but it wouldn't be without a reason. So we should work towards finding out how to utilize the power of these Crests and why they've come up like this."

"Without a reason?" Juri echoed back. "You mean to say that… that…"

Jenrya looked away and nodded.

"No way…" Takato muttered, unable to believe it. "A new enemy? Now? But it's been two years; why would…"

Kenta sighed. "Like evil needs a reason to be timely? Any _good_ villain would know the best time to strike is when you least expect it."

The doctor who had been in charge of Kenta found it hard to find a place in the conversation. Kenta's parents were in the same position, but just looked content that their son was now awake and well again. He only vaguely recalled the terror that went about when the D-Reaper attacked Shinjuku two years ago, but never expected he would have one of the children who participated in that battle as a patient one day. He sighed to himself quietly, realizing this was a situation beyond the reach of himself and any other doctor in the hospital, but perked back up when he heard a couple of children calling out for him from a distance.

He backed out into the hallway and found Ruki and Hirokazu, the kids he had sent to the showers, rushing at him worriedly. They were clad in only the robes that were provided for them and towels over their heads to dry their hair. "Doctor…! Doctor!!"

"What's going on?!" he shouted, not liking their panicked expressions in the least. By this point, the others with Kenta turned their attention to the hallway, hearing the familiar voices.

"Seems like they're all clean now," Takato assumed. "You think they're screaming because of…?" He didn't feel the need to complete the sentence.

Ryo shrugged. "We'll see soon enough. Here they come."

"Doc, there's something really wrong with us!" Hirokazu wailed as he and Ruki skid to a halt in front of the doctor, now viewable to the others still inside Kenta's room. "There's this freaky blue symbol on Ruki's chest and a _really_ freaky orange symbol on my chest and they're glowing and we swear they've never been there before and I don't think this kind of thing is supposed to happen and…!"

The loudmouthed boy was cut off by the doctor, who held a finger up and pointed to Kenta's room. "Go on inside," he instructed. "You aren't alone."

"Not alone?" Ruki complained, thinking the doctor was pulling their legs. "Look, buddy, my friend may be kind of a charlatan most of the time, but this time is a-…" She paused as she got a good look at everyone else. Jenrya with the glowing green symbol on his cheek, Juri with a yellow one on her hand, Takato and Ryo with their shirts off with red and gray-colored glowing symbols on them respectively, and Kenta with his consciousness regained and a purple symbol glowing on his forehead. Ruki gaped at the sight for a moment. "Oh… oh man…"

"No way!" Hirokazu shouted out as he realized the other symbols. "You guys have the disease too?!"

Takato shook his head and spoke calmly. "It isn't a disease, 'Kazu… looks like you've got the Crest of Courage."

"And you have the Crest of Friendship, Ruki…" Juri pointed out. "We don't know where these came from, but… it looks like the Crests from the TV show are the real deal in this world, too."

"What?!" Ruki looked down at her Crest, then examined the ones on her friends. "Oh… wow. No wonder I thought these looked familiar. We seriously have… Crests? Two years after we rid the Digital World of all its problems?"

"We're still in the process of figuring out what exactly is going on," Ryo admitted. "But they appeared on all of us when we were trying to get Kenta to wake up."

It had just then struck Ruki and Hirokazu that Kenta was awake and looking well.

"Kenta! Oh man, thank god you're alright!" Hirokazu cried out happily. "We were worried sick about you, buddy!"

Ruki smiled at Kenta, looking relieved. "You look almost good as new, too. Guess you're a lot tougher than I gave you credit for."

"Um… thanks, I guess," Kenta replied. "I have a feeling I wouldn't be awake right now if it weren't for you guys. I owe you all one."

"So who did this to you, bud?" Hirokazu asked, slamming his fists together. "If you don't have a name, just give me a physical description! I'll weed out the entire population of Tokyo until I find the slimy bastard who did this to you; I promise!"

While the sentiment flattered Kenta, he still looked worried and sad at the same time. "Sorry, 'Kazu. I don't remember anything about the attack at all. Not who did it to me, how it happened, or why it happened. All I remember is heading towards the pharmacy to get aspirin."

This concerned Ruki. "Not a single thing? That's really unusual… either someone came up from behind and knocked your lights out really quick, or…"

"Something else must be at work," Ryo cut in. "Not your average thug or bully. This was more than just a physical assault; the culprit put a curse on Kenta, too. That's why his Crest was solid black when we arrived here."

"That would mean that someone else knows who we are and what we're capable of," Juri pointed out. "Why else would anyone bother to seal off a latent power that no one, counting Kenta himself, had no idea he had?"

"What I don't get is _why_ we don't know," Takato muttered, looking down. "I mean, even if it wouldn't have helped us during our fight with the D-Reaper, you'd think our bearing Crests would be relevant enough for Azulongmon to bring up at some time or another."

Ryo shook his head. "We'll have to find out what this means on our own. But we still don't know who's carrying the Crests of Light and Kindness yet. Before we make any moves, we should wait until Kenta's fully recovered and figure out who bears those Crests so we can come together and start coming up with some plans."

"Hah! Is that all?" Terriermon piped up. "Well, if it's just the Tamers who carry Crests, then it should be easy finding Light and Kindness! There's Ai and Makoto bein' Tamers for Impmon, not to mention Jen's little sister for Lopmon!"

"Assuming two Tamers can share a Crest, that is," Jenrya muttered. "Then again, two Tamers for one Digimon is pretty abnormal too, so it's possible…"

Kenta smiled. "You guys don't need to worry about my health. I feel fine now… like a great weight's been lifted from my shoulders. Must be this Crest thingy. Anyway, we ought to contact the twins' folks or Impmon so we can meet them as soon as possible. We can leave Jen to recruiting Shuichon, right?"

"Ah, yeah… no problem," Jenrya weakly assured. "I can do it tonight."

"Are you sure you're well enough to leave the hospital already?" Akemi asked her son worriedly. "A curse sounds so extreme and unnatural… what if you haven't been fully cured yet?"

"I wouldn't worry about that, mom," Kenta said, smiling. "I've never felt better. I haven't felt a migraine coming on since I woke up. Besides, if anything bad happens to me, MarineAngemon will be there to make me better. Right, buddy?"

"Pi pi pi!" Kenta's partner sung out happily, snuggling against his Tamer.

"Guess it's noteworthy to say that I haven't felt my heart give out or anything since I took my shirt off," Takato mentioned awkwardly. "Maybe we can regulate our bodies now that we know about our Crests?"

Hirokazu didn't look quite as complacent as the others. "Still gonna pulverize the bastard if I ever find him for wailing on Kenta. Or, uh… it. Whatever. I've got its number!"

Ruki shook her head, but then stared at Hirokazu as if she just realized something. "You know, I was trying to figure out why Hirokazu of all people would have the Crest of Courage, but I just remembered that the characters on the TV show with the Crest of Courage had the tendency to act like irrational dumbasses when it came to things like justice more often than not. No wonder I kept saying 'Kazu was more of a Gogglehead than our actual Gogglehead… I was right all along!"

"Well, with all due respect, I could never get myself to taint my flawless image with something as dorky as goggles," Hirokazu humbly admitted. "I'll just leave that as Takato's gimmick if that's okay with everyone else." The others laughed, but Takato looked annoyed.

"I don't even wear them anymore," he grumbled.

Compared to the others, Jenrya had been extremely quiet most of the time with very little to contribute. Part of him was excited to have his old self back in control, while part of him was too engrossed in the conversation to actually make a note of it. But it all came back to him as Juri shot him a rather concerned stare. Jenrya knew what this gesture was all about; it was only the two of them that had recently suffered an unnatural phenomenon, and because of Jenrya's questionable threats, they had never told anyone about it. Juri, both afraid and respectful of Jenrya and his wishes, kept quiet about it, but saw that this was an incident worth mentioning to the others to aid them in their new mission.

This was finally Jenrya's chance to seek some outside help to fight his darkness within, but when he tried to speak out, he found that he couldn't; no words would come out of his mouth. He came to realize this was not because of his own hesitation and stubbornness, now. Jenrya was unable to speak freely because Antijen could still suppress his willpower from the inside. Even if he had been thrown back to where he came from, Antijen was far too powerful now to be resisted by his host body. Jenrya could hear Antijen laughing from within his soul; untouchable and a proven constant presence no matter what he did. He was beyond the point where he could truly win against Antijen any longer.

Juri waited to see if Jenrya would consent to the secret becoming public knowledge to their peers, but saw that she would not get a verbal response out of him. She was about to ask out loud until Jenrya himself spoke up all of a sudden.

"Well, guys! It's getting kind of late and I have a lot of homework to do. I'm gonna go ahead and get home and let Shuichon know about what we're doing," he announced. "I'll see you guys later! Glad came out of this alright, Kenta." With that, he walked out the door before Terriermon could get a word in edgewise.

Ruki immediately found this strange. "He was pretty quick to get out of there, wasn't he?"

"Come to think of it…" Takato wondered out loud. "Wasn't Jen wearing a completely different set of clothes when he came in here?"

"Was he?" asked Ryo. "I wasn't really paying attention."

"I could've sworn he was," Takato claimed. "Didn't look a thing like what he had on before he left."

Juri noticed as well, but was too afraid to confront him about it with everyone. She did, however, suspect it had something to do with the strange dimension she found herself _and_ Jenrya that day they were lost in the alley. The incident the two promised to never talk to the others about.

But he was no longer present to prevent her from talking about it. And Juri only wanted to talk about it to help her friends, because she was almost certain that their incident was connected with Kenta's incident. Much as she hated to break promises, Juri felt she could not bear to harm her friends any longer than she had already by withholding information; she thought that perhaps if she had only said something sooner, then maybe this attack on Kenta never would have taken place.

She could no longer stand the grief. "Actually, everyone… there's something I've needed to tell you all for a while. I was told never to speak of it, but… this is a special circumstance. It's about that day Jen and I went missing when Takato was still sick…"

Many eager ears listened on as Juri retold the events of that day. She made sure to spare no detail.

Meanwhile, Jenrya was running towards home as fast as he could.

"Whoa, Jen! Slow down, already!" Terriermon shouted, clinging to his partner for dear life. "Where's the fire, huh?!"

"Don't worry about it, Terriermon!" was all Jenrya would give his Digimon. But inwardly, his darker persona stewed.

"**Damn it all! She's probably blabbing to all of them right now about the incident in the alley. She's onto me. They'll be throwing questions at you left and right tomorrow, Jenrya. I won't allow you to ruin this for me,"** Antijen grunted.

"_And what'll you do about it?"_ Jenrya thought, knowing Antijen could read his mental projections. _"I'm the one who's back in control now. I've let you play your game for far too long. You're the one who did this to Kenta, and now you're reaping what you've sown. Once my friends figure out how, we're getting rid of you once and for all!"_

"**You think it's that easy?"**Antijen challenged. **"You're going to be in for a nasty surprise down the road, then. In any case, the only reason you were able to reclaim control of your body was because I had a minuscule moment of weakness. What you fail to realize is that the same rule applies to you now: if you leave an opening for me for even a second, I'll snatch your body back within a blink of the eye. You're fighting a losing battle, Jenrya. Just admit it."**

"_Unlike you, I have friends on my side,"_ Jenrya reminded him. _"All I need to do is tell Terriermon before the night is out, and he'll be sure to mess you up so badly that you'll be screaming to get back into the depths of my body."_

"**Thank you for letting me realize that,"**Antijen spoke mockingly. **"That helps out immensely with my trying to decide who gets to go first."**

"… _G-go…? What do you mean by…?"_

"**Take a good look at your companion, Jenrya. Because by the end of the night, you'll see exactly why keeping your mouth shut would be the best course of action for you when I eliminate Terriermon right before your very eyes."**

"_Eli... min… NO!!"_

"**And since I can personally make sure you keep your mouth shut until I decide you can freely speak, Terriermon won't be able to react until it's too late! Face the facts, now! I've already won yet another round of this game! Be sure to say goodnight to your partner before I put him to sleep."**

"_NO!! TERRIERMON!!"

* * *

_( TBC )


End file.
